


Just Getting By

by WeirdoBoxer



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Brief Sam/Alex, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Maggie will return, Minor Character Death, Old faces will return, Poisoning, Post Season 3, Season 3 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-06-11 01:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15304719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdoBoxer/pseuds/WeirdoBoxer
Summary: Alex thought she'd figure everything out once they defeated Reign. About Sam, about kids, about her job.She was wrong.With Sam abruptly leaving, Lena Luthor's friendship, Maggie returning, and the possibility of kids slipping further and further away, everything seems to get even more complicated.Not to mention, thesmallissue of a poisonous alien on the loose.Post season 3.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Post season 3.  
> J'onn is still the director of the D.E.O.

They had fixed her. Sam was Sam, and Reign was gone. 

Alex thought Sam would stay. They had grown close, along with Lena and Kara, so much so that Alex was sure that Sam would stay when everything calmed down.

She had told herself that it was a friendship she didn’t want to let go of, but as soon as she saw Sam packing her bags, she felt an unpleasant jolt within her that signalled it to be something more.

“What are you doing?”

Alex felt the words tumble desperately from her mouth before she could prevent them. Sam’s hands slowed as she pressed another shirt into a bag.

“I’m packing. I thought that would be obvious to an agent.” Sam replied, cold and uninviting.

Alex huffed in disbelief at Sam’s tone. After everything they’d been through, surely she couldn’t be so indifferent in leaving them?

“I’m confused,” Alex began, hands poised hesitantly in front of her, “Reign is gone. You’re safe. You don’t need to run away from that anymore. Even-even if something else came up, you have us… you have Lena, Kara, everyone, you have me-”

“-that is exactly what you don’t understand.” Sam said, levelling her gaze with Alex’s bewildered one.

“Sam, please, I can’t- I need you to just tell me what’s wrong here.” Alex pleaded, panicking when Sam continued packing. She surged forwards to grab Sam’s arms to stop her from shutting the bag.

Sam recoiled. She pushed away from Alex until they were two arms distance from one another. At Alex’s hurt expression, she realised that an explanation was the least she could offer. Running away without consequences was never going to go well with someone as stubborn as Alex.

“You have been great, Alex. Believe me - so great. With helping me and being someone for Ruby to rely on when I was… occupied. You and your friends have accepted us into your family and we will appreciate that forever. And it isn’t just that… there is whatever this is between us too. I can’t - Ruby can’t lose someone else after everything that has happened - and I can’t risk falling for someone who could die tomorrow. Your job is so dangerous. It wouldn’t be fair to any of us if we stayed, and we let this attraction grow into something more, only for it to break down because… it just wouldn’t work.”

Sam took a breath to finish her jumbled discourse. She knew it was a weak explanation for leaving - too selfish and too premature - but it the best Sam could do to articulate her reasoning.

Alex shook her head, feeling an inappropriate urge to laugh. It was happening all over again. There was a possibility for something great, only for it to be ripped away and trampled on because of a decision she made, such as wanting kids or having a dangerous job. She wanted to laugh at herself for even entertaining the notion of being able to have another relationship.

“Nice speech,” Alex said, “And to think I was willing to make changes for this, for Ruby, and you. You’re just not going to give it a chance.”

Alex turned to leave but paused as she reached the door, “Say goodbye to Ruby for me.”

Sam opened her mouth to speak but Alex was out the door before she could, leaving the words to die on her lips. _I’m sorry._

XXXXXXX

Alex was never one for endurance but still, she ran.

Normally, the punch bag would solve the problem until the hour became acceptable to have a strong drink. This time, she needed a different escape. She was less angry, and more hurt, and just wanted to run away.

That’s how she found herself weaving through the busy paths of the city, replaying the recent moments in her head, the words bouncing off the walls of her brain.

_I can’t risk falling for someone who could die tomorrow._

It was clear that Sam was just not ready. Still too scared, still too protective of Ruby and not ready to put herself in a situation where they could both get hurt again.

_It wouldn’t be fair._

Fair to who? Was Alex really that unpredictable?

_It just wouldn’t work._

Maybe not, Alex thought, but now they would never know. So she pushed her legs and her arms and her lungs to try and make the pain in her limbs louder than the thoughts in her head.

Some time later, Alex stopped at a rare quiet spot in the city, dropping her knees into the grass and collapsing against a tree. Her chest heaved over and over as she tried to catch her breath which was difficult due to both her physical and emotional state.

It was so different yet so similar to Maggie. She hadn’t been in a relationship with Sam like she was with Maggie but the rejection dealt a similar blow. If Reign hadn’t made many of their interactions about saving Sam’s life, the possibility of moving past lingering glances and comforting touches was high. The what ifs continued to swirl through Alex’s mind as she regained control of her breathing.

“Alex? Is that you?”

Alex groaned inwardly as she recognised the voice. The last thing she needed was a Luthor keeping her company.

“Yep. Just taking a break on a run. Don’t let me hold you up.” Alex waved a hand for Lena to continue down the path. Unfortunately for her, Lena was just as stubborn to stay.

The CEO dropped to sit on the grass next to Alex, surprising the agent who took in Lena’s clothes. Lena was sporting her own running gear, and Alex shot her a questioning look to which Lena rolled her eyes.

“When I’m stuck inside all day drinking coffee the least I can do for my body is get some exercise when I have the time,” she informed, “What about you? Surely there is plenty of space at the D.E.O to work out. What brings you to this civilian area?”

Lena’s attempt at lightening the atmosphere fell short as Alex’s shoulders hunched and her eyes fixed on the ground.

“I had to get away for a bit. I just spoke to Sam… she’s leaving, you know? We, um, had something… or I thought we did,” she looked up at Lena, “Sorry, this is weird.”

“Alex, it’s fine. We’re friends, not the closest but we’re getting there. Why didn’t you call your sister?” Lena questioned with no accusation, only curiosity.

“There’s a storm on the way, she’s putting safety precautions in place.”

Lena hummed to acknowledge Alex’s point but added, “She would drop everything if you asked,” Alex was about to debate when Lena pressed on, “I know you wouldn’t. You put the world before yourself which is, of course, admirable, but very destructive.”

Alex didn’t disagree. She was aware of her lifestyle that led to habitual sacrifices that left her on the wrong side of happiness all too often. It had been introduced to her as a child, drilled into her by Eliza as she grew up with Kara, and it had stuck with her as an adult.

“I’m tired, Lena. It’s not just Sam and Ruby. Winn left, and M’yrnn… it’s been a lot. I’m used to the pressure but there’s been other factors lately.”

Lena frowned, “Like what?”

Alex cleared her throat, not sure how much to divulge. Lena could tell her sister, or worse, J’onn, and that would make things worse. Lena seemed to sense Alex’s hesitancy and held up her hands in surrender.

“I won’t say a word outside this conversation, Alex. But you also don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

Alex nodded appreciatively, “I haven’t been my best self when dealing with stress. Maggie was my rock and helped a lot when I turned to alcohol at the end of a hard day. She left and I haven’t been strong enough to fight by myself. Then there’s me wanting to be a single parent which is such an awful idea if I can’t even take care of myself properly.”

Lena reached out to rest a hand on Alex’s shoulder as she saw the distress in her posture. Alex’s self-confidence had clearly taken a huge knock. She needed someone to be her rock again, and while Lena wasn’t the best at advice outside her work, she knew she had to try.

“Alex, look at me,” she tried, pulling gently on Alex’s arm when she got no initial response to bring them eye to eye, “You save lives everyday, you would be the best parent a kid could ask for. Trust me, I know about the bad ones. And if you ever need someone when your feeling overwhelmed, call me. I’m no Maggie, but I’ll do my best.”

Alex felt her eyes sting at the sincerity in Lena’s words. Before she could second guess herself, she was hugging Lena, thanking her, promising her that she would be there for her in return.

“It’s okay, Alex,” Lena smiled as her offer of help was accepted, “Look at you, not as tough as you seem.” she joked.

Alex pulled back and lightly punched her arm, laughing.

“And you’re pretty helpful for a Luthor.”

Lena feigned shock and offense as she stood and offered Alex a hand.

“To a new kind of friendship.”

XXXXXXX


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little short, it's more of a stepping stone to lead to the next chapter.  
> This story is Sanvers endgame!  
> Although we may not have seen the last of Sam...

Alex wished she’d stuck with the punch bag. Her body was angry at her and she felt every bit of that anger in her aching muscles as she walked back to her apartment. Lena parted as they walked back towards the busier part of the city, suggesting that they meet again the same time the next day. Alex agreed, saying she’d let Lena know when she was finished at the D.E.O.

It was strange to have plans again. It had become the norm that Alex would work until late, go home and sleep. If she felt particularly social, she’d sit at the bar for a bit before going home. The even crazier element to her plans was the presence of Lena. Alex was ashamed to admit that she’d felt anxious as they approached the crowds, in case of judging eyes or curious glances. A Danvers and a Luthor together? But there was neither of those things, just the assumption that they were two people catching up. In the normal world, there were no implications or hidden agendas behind them being friends.

It was all enough to give her a headache on top of everything else. Alex knew a drink and sleep was all she needed, as she shoved her key in her door.

“Where have you been?”

“What the- Kara!”

Alex was a heartbeat away from drawing her gun before she realised the intruder was just her sister. Her smug, leftover stealing sister.

“Kara!” Alex repeated, looking pointedly at the near empty plate. Kara just shrugged, mumbling something about being a hungry alien.

“Where were you?” Kara urged. Alex rolled her eyes at the change of subject as she crossed the space to get a drink. _Just water_ , she reminded herself, _until Kara is gone._

“I went for a run.”

“I heard Sam and Ruby left,” Kara prodded, “You guys were close. Did they say goodbye?”

Alex debated how much to reveal, leaning her elbows on the counter with her glass between her hands. While she didn’t want it to seem like she was withholding from Kara, she didn’t want to dwell on it any more than was necessary. They were gone and there wasn’t much point wishing and hoping for anything different.

Still, if Lena were to go back on her word and tell Kara herself, Alex would be in a whole new world of trouble for not being upfront in the first place.

“In a sense. Sam and I… I guess I was hoping for more there than I should have. So, I went for a run to cool off.”

Kara sighed, exasperatedly, “Alex, you know you can come to me. No matter what I’m doing.”

“I, uh, was actually with Lena.” Alex admitted.

Kara’s eyes widened and she inhaled, realising her mistake too late as her food got caught in her throat and she began coughing.

“Yeah, I’m just as surprised as you are…” Alex mumbled, offering Kara a half-hearted pat on the back.

“I’m not-it’s just-Lena? That’s surprising,” Kara said once she regained control of herself, “You just don’t like her.”

Alex scoffed, “I don’t not like her…”

“You poked her with a stick, Alex.”

“...Right. I didn’t like her,” Alex relented, “But recently, we were working together with Sam, and things changed,” she spotted Kara’s raised eyebrow and hurriedly added, “Not like that! She seems great and all, but not like that.”

Kara hummed as she finished her food, pushing the plate away and moving around the counter to stand beside her sister. She gestured to the water in Alex’s glass.

“Do I need to be worried?” she asked.

Even knowing the hidden question to be ‘are you going to be drinking something stronger than water tonight?’, Alex surprised herself by replying with a genuine answer, “No. I’ll be alright tonight.” _And we’ll see about tomorrow._

Kara seemed satisfied, “Well, I will leave you to go to sleep because J’onn said he needs everyone in early tomorrow.”

Alex frowned, “J’onn always wants us in early. What’s so special?”

“Don’t know,” Kara stole an apple as she passed on her way to the door, ignoring Alex’s disgruntled ‘hey!’, “But he said extra early so do you want me to fly us both?”  
“No thanks. I’ll take my bike.”

“Okay. See you bright and early then.”

“Yes, Kara. Goodbye.”

With that, Alex pushed her door shut with a sigh and all was quiet in her apartment again. Since Maggie left, she had been used to talking to no one but Kara, and occasionally Sam, outside of her work hours. Between catching up with Kara, her argument with Sam and her surprising conversation with Lena, it all left Alex feeling a little more than drained for the day.

She cleared Kara’s plate before taking a shower and crawling into her bed. It wasn’t as late as she usually slept, at a measly 9pm, so she shouldn’t have been too surprised to hear a knock on her door. Still, what kind of stranger visits someone else’s apartment at this hour?

As Alex dragged her tired limbs from the comfort of her bed, she tried to think of any reason why there would be someone at her door. Maybe Kara left something behind? She would usually just text or fly over and bang on her window instead. Did J’onn need her for an urgent D.E.O matter? No, he would just call her. So who on earth…

Her gun resting on the table by the door, in reach, and her senses more alert after ruling out the obvious guesses, Alex opened her door.

Not a stranger.

Not an obvious guess either, though. Not by a long shot.

The figure had their back turned with a hand on their hip as they waited, but Alex knew. She knew that hair, she had ran her own hands through it often enough…

They turned and suddenly Alex couldn’t quite think properly.

“Hey, Danvers,” they began shuffling on their feet, clearly as nervous as Alex was, “Sorry to drop in so late. It’s been a while…”

All of their words were just white noise to Alex at this point. She was lost in the eyes, the faint dimple appearing as they spoke, the head tilt, all of it, all of _her_ \- not dissimilar to when she was first falling for the woman.

“Maggie?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The D.E.O faces a lock down situation with a poisonous alien on the loose.

They hadn’t spoken much since Alex invited Maggie in. They were past the ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’ and now they were waiting for the other to invite more conversation. Alex was waiting for Maggie to speak as she was the one who came to her. Maggie was just waiting for Alex to kick her out because it was getting late and she’d just waltzed up to her ex-fiancee’s door with no warning. Still, the silence was getting increasingly uncomfortable so Maggie decided to try to ease the atmosphere.

“You were about to go to bed,” Maggie said, gesturing to Alex’s top and shorts, to which the agent looked down at herself as if only just realising her appearance.

“Yes. Yes I was-well-I was already in bed. Early night.” she replied with a nervous rub of her neck.

Maggie turned as if to leave, “Oh, I’m sorry, I can-we can talk about this tomorrow.”

“No!” Alex protested before checking herself, “I mean, I’m not forcing you to stay or anything but you came all this way so late, you might as well say what you’ve gotta say.”

Maggie smiled thankfully, dimples and all. Alex tried to tell her heart to keep it’s rhythm but it seemed to do it’s own thing when she was around Maggie. Nothing had changed there, then.

“I would have waited but since J’onn is starting so early at the D.E.O tomorrow, I thought I’d swing by tonight…”

Alex frowned, “How do you know we’re starting early tomorrow?”

Maggie tried to smile but it came out as a reluctant grimace, “That’s the thing. I’m going to be there tomorrow with you. J’onn has asked me to help because your next case is one of my colleagues.”

“Right. Ok. Not okay. What?” Alex was still in the dark, “How is it anything to do with the D.E.O unless… you’ve been working with an alien?”

Maggie raised an eyebrow, “You say that as if it isn’t something you do everyday, Danvers. But yes, I’ve been working with an alien - but I didn’t know she was one, okay? Not until her boyfriend got poisoned, accused her, and now she’s off the grid.”

Alex heaved in a breath, releasing it slowly as she took everything in. Maggie was back. She’d be working with Maggie tomorrow. They had a new case. _She’d be working with Maggie tomorrow._

She looked back to Maggie, whose gaze had wondered while Alex thought, and she was taking in the walls of what was once their home together. Alex knew it must hurt at least a little to have to come back, and didn’t want that for Maggie any longer than necessary.

“Hey,” she began to get Maggie’s attention, “Thanks for coming to brief me on that. Uh, it’s getting late so I don’t want to keep you…”

Maggie looked hesitant before agreeing, “Yep, I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Alex nodded, “Absolutely.”

They both hovered in the doorway. Shaking hands was too formal. Hugging was too sudden. Anything beyond that seemed inappropriate. They settled for exchanging nods before Alex watched Maggie leave her doorway once again.

The only difference was that, this time, there was a tug that pulled them closer, rather than driving them apart.

XXXXXXX

It would have been ignorant of Alex to not expect some shocked expressions when Maggie approached their briefing group at the D.E.O the next day. What she didn’t expect was everyone to _stop listening_ to the very important information that she was relaying to them.

“Guys, I’m talking,” Alex tried as she took in the wide-eyed agents as they looked between Alex and Maggie. They all knew the history between them and were waiting for an awkward interaction at the very least. The only one who remained neutral was J’onn, who already knew about Maggie joining them.

Supergirl nudged her sister and mumbled as quietly as she could, “What is she doing here?”

From Maggie’s tight-lipped smile and tilt of the head, Alex could tell she had heard the question.

Deciding to ignore Supergirl, Alex tried to regain her agents’ attention a different way.

“Detective Sawyer, glad you could join us. Nice to see you again after last night.” Alex finished with a too-bright smile and hoped Maggie would catch on.

She did.

“Well, _Agent Danvers_ , it was great to catch up last night. I know I stayed pretty late so I hope you were able to get some sleep.” Maggie supplied.

The D.E.O agents looked on with faces that Alex wanted pictures of. The insinuation that they were doing more than talking last night was enough to regain their attention to the task at hand.

“Okay, everyone,” Alex sighed, glancing down at the image of the woman they were tracking, “Andrea Bailey. A colleague of Detective Sawyer, who is here to help us on this case. Like the Director said, we aren’t sure of her capabilities, so when we search this place, we have to take extra precautions. I need all of you watching each other’s backs out there, okay?”

Supergirl added, “I’ll be able to scan the building but that doesn’t guarantee safety. If what the intel says is right, then I can’t spot poison with my x-ray vision and you’re still in the dark.”

J’onn stepped forwards, “Detective Sawyer and I are going to see Andrea’s boyfriend to get as much information as possible about how the poison is transmitted. The rest of you will be ready to search that building in 30 minutes.”

“I would rather go out with Danvers’ team.” Maggie protested.

J’onn went to argue against the detective when the lights dimmed and an agent called out, “There’s been a breach!”

Suddenly, the D.E.O was alive. J’onn and Alex were barking orders at their agents who hurriedly complied. Supergirl went to investigate the breach as Maggie felt a gust of air pass her.

“Sawyer, Miller, Harris - with me,” Alex called, grabbing Maggie’s arm to pull her along. Alex’s head was tilted and she kept touching a hand to her ear and Maggie realised she had comms in with Supergirl on the other end.

Maggie continued to follow Alex and the other two agents down a long corridor until they reached the training room, where Supergirl was waiting.

“This is where the lock down was called for,” Alex said before looking to Miller and Harris, “Miller, after me, Harris, after Sawyer. If anything, I mean _anything_ seems suspicious, you tell me.”

Looking to her sister, Supergirl nodded and opened the training room doors. The entered, one by one, guns raised and on high alert. Alex held an uncomfortable feeling in her gut that something wasn’t right, but there was no visual evidence to support that feeling of unease.

Supergirl sighed in frustration, “There’s nothing in here, maybe they got awa-”

A choked cough and a thud cut her off. Alex’s heart accelerated as she remembered who was behind her. _No, no, no, not Maggie_. She turned to see Miller doing the same… and Maggie turning too. Harris was on the ground, gasping for air that he couldn’t seem to find.

“Out! Everybody out!” Alex shouted. Supergirl picked Harris up and placed him on the ground outside the training room before she turned to Alex.

“It’s her, Andrea, I’m going to follow her. Make sure your agent is okay.”

“Ka-Supergirl, wait-” But she was gone. Alex turned back to her small team and saw a supply room on their right.

“In there,” she grabbed Harris under the shoulders and, with Miller and Maggie’s help, got him in the room, shutting the door firmly behind them.

Harris had quietened, which only worried Alex. She checked his pulse and felt it weak but consistent. There wasn’t much she could do while they waited for the all clear outside.

She stood straight, wiping her forehead then placing her hands on her hips. 

“What can we do now?” Maggie asked, searching Alex’s eyes for guidance.

Alex didn’t know. Here she was, the most qualified and trained of all of them for situations like this, but she didn’t know. One thing was certain - they couldn’t leave this room until she got confirmation it was going to be safe - for Harris, for Miller and for Maggie.

“There’s only one option and you’ll hate it as much as I do. We have to wait,” she continued even as Maggie began to protest, “We can’t split up or leave an agent behind with so many unknowns out there. Trust me, I’m usually the first one to go out there but… I can’t risk it.” _I can’t risk you._

Alex knew it was selfish, knew she shouldn’t still feel so strongly to protect someone she couldn’t be with, but she wasn’t about to risk Maggie’s life for her own desire to save the day. She had to trust her sister on this one. The only way Maggie would stay put was if they all did.

“Please, Maggie,” Alex tried to keep her voice level but it betrayed her, “We have to wait.”

“But, Danvers-”

Alex shot Maggie a look and repeated herself with more certainty this time.

“We wait.”


	4. Chapter 4

If Alex’s timings were correct, they had been in the supply room for almost 30 minutes. The noise from outside had ceased 10 minutes prior to that, and Harris had been able to talk again for the last five minutes.

If nothing else, she could make sure the timings were all correct.

“I didn’t feel anything,” Harris continued trying to put into words the moments leading up to his poisoning, “Maybe it’s not transmitted through the bloodstream, what about air?”

“No, the rest of us are fine,” Alex responded, “At least, we are at the moment. And I don’t know what’s going on out there.”

Out there. Where her sister, J’onn, Brainy, and everyone else was unheard from. Five more minutes and she’d be out there, she couldn’t wait any longer. She’d be out before Maggie had a chance to come after her.

“How much longer?” Miller asked, clearly getting as restless as she was, despite sticking by Harris’ side like glue.

Alex fixed him with a stern look, “As long as it takes. No risks.”

Miller didn’t object. The outcome of disobeying his superior wasn’t something he wanted to endure.

Alex felt Maggie shift by her side and had to refrain from reaching out. They’d gone from being completely separated to being trapped in a small and stuffy supply room. It wasn’t the ideal way to start their professional relationship together and it certainly wasn’t ideal for Alex’s fragile heart.

“You doing okay, Sawyer?”

“Yeah, what about you? How’s your savior complex doing?”

Alex gaped, “I definitely do not have a savior complex.”

“Hmm,” Maggie paused, “No, maybe not. You just have a blissful ignorance for your own safety.”

A moment passed and Maggie thought Alex wouldn’t reply to that. Was that too far, too soon? Just as she was about to apologise, she heard a sigh on her left.

“It’s not blissful,” Alex said and Maggie wanted to slap herself for being such a downer, “I just can’t see myself existing if Kara isn’t safe. She’s one of the few people who have made me feel like that.”

_Who are the others?_ The question was on the tip of Maggie’s tongue but it wasn’t her place to ask, not anymore. Although, she hoped that maybe she was one of those people back when things were simpler.

“Some things don’t change,” Maggie commented quickly before moving on, “Although, what was with you getting an early night last night? I used to have to drag you out to be social, don’t tell me all my hard work has been undone.”

Alex faltered. _Yes, your hard work has been undone because when you left, I was lonely. I pushed everyone away. My barely there social life turned non-existent. People were even more wary to be around me._

Instead of saying any of this, Alex took the lighter approach.

“I do stuff,” Alex said, defensively, “I hang out with Kara, go to game nights… oh, I’m supposed to be meeting Lena later too!”

Maggie misjudged Alex’s enthusiasm to prove her point as excitement to see Lena and berated herself at the pang of disappointment she felt.

“Lena Luthor? I honestly didn’t expect that one from you, Danvers.”

Alex saw a hint of something in Maggie’s face that, for some reason, made her want to explain that she and Lena were nothing more than friends.

“I don’t-we’re not-we’re friends,” Alex stuttered.

“Oh. Cool. I mean, whatever, it’s not really any of my business…”

Alex watched as Maggie’s eyes diverted to glance at the ground, then the wall, back to Alex before settling on Harris and Miller. Alex had forgotten they were even there.

Not having much else to do, Alex shuffled forwards so she could check on Harris.

“You felt nothing at all?” she double checked. Harris shook his head. Alex hummed and checked all the areas of skin she could see, finding no marks. As she was checking his shoulder, a red mark on Harris’ neck caught her attention. It looked similar to a recently injected needle mark - Alex had found her entry wound.

“No wonder you didn’t feel it, it’s needle size. Must have been a small dose,” Alex thought aloud, “I don’t want to know what a larger dose feels like.”

“I’m feeling better already so it must wear off with time.” Harris commented. Miller looked skeptical.

“I still think you should go to medical when we get out of here.” he finished with a frustrated sigh towards the ceiling.

Alex nodded in agreement, “Don’t worry, Miller, this one is going straight to Doctor Hamilton and we’ll be out of here in no time. Just sit tight.”

She sat back in her place next to Maggie. She’d ran out of things to do, things to say. Soon, she was going to run out of patience.

XXXXXXX

Supergirl cleared them to leave only a few minutes later, but Alex was out of there like it had been hours.

She ordered Harris to medical before seeking out J’onn who reported that there had only been minor damage. Supergirl added that their target had escaped.

“Agent Danvers, are you and your team still able to search the building?” J’onn asked. They’d lost some time on their schedule from the breach and with a man down, they’d have to manage the agents differently.

“I’ll just have to find someone to replace Harris. I’ll get Vasquez or-”

“I’ll do it.”

_Oh. Oh no._ Alex did not just stay put in a tiny box just for Maggie to cartwheel into danger. She looked to J’onn, hoping to see the same protest on his expression. When she saw that he was contemplating the idea, she took the matter into her own hands.

“No, you’re not a trained agent, there are protocols for this type of thing,” Alex insisted.

“It’s not like I haven’t been out on the field before. I’m here to help, aren’t I? Let’s do this. I’ll sign the paperwork when we get back.” Maggie shared a nod with J’onn before she walked off to get ready.

XXXXXXX

It was going so well.

But nothing was ever that simple.

_“The building isn’t showing signs of life. You’re good to go.”_

Alex nodded at Supergirl’s confirmation over comms and gestured for her team to follow her lead. Maggie was right behind her, and she used all of her training to compartmentalize what she needed to focus on.

She divided the team in two, reluctantly leaving Maggie to scope out downstairs as she lead her half upstairs. There were no lights and few windows, leaving no room for the uncomfortable layer of dust to escape. Without their precautionary masks on, Alex could only imagine the smell that accompanied the filth. It left her feeling unsettled.

After they cleared two of the three rooms, Alex still hadn’t shook the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She raised a hand to allow herself to pass her agents and enter the third room first.

It only took half a second for Alex to realise.

“Out! Everybody out!” she shouted into the comms, “Explosive device!”

_“Alex? What can I do?”_

Alex heard her sister’s voice as she ushered her agents down the stairs.

“You can’t do anything, Supergirl - keep back, it could be kryptonite!”

She reached the bottom of the stairs, counting the seconds in her head that were flashing on the device - 15, 14, 13-

“Danvers!”

The last of the teams were out and getting far, far away but Maggie, of course, waited for Alex until she left. Alex pushed the frustration to the back of her mind - there was no time - 9, 8-

“Go!”

Alex pushed Maggie forward and they ran and kept running until a force knocked Alex forwards into Maggie’s back and they landed on the grass.

Ringing immediately assaulted Alex’s ears, along with the helpless feeling of breathlessness from landing so hard. She felt Maggie wiggle out from underneath her as sounds began to slip through.

“-lex!”

She heard Supergirl who appeared before her, helping her to her feet slowly as she got her breath back. Alex gestured to her ears when her sister and Maggie carried on talking and they soon got the message.

The drive back to the D.E.O was quiet and Alex was almost thankful that she couldn’t hear anything so she didn’t have to force a conversation - especially with Maggie. She didn’t want the officer to know that the close call had shaken her far too much for someone supposedly moving on from their relationship.

Alex dodged medical when they made it back. Her self-assessment was good enough - she’d been through much worse. J’onn, however, took one look at Alex and gestured for her to go home.

For the first time in a while, Alex leapt at the chance.

XXXXXXX

The ringing had finally settled once Alex stepped through the door to her apartment. She grabbed a beer as she walked from the front door to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, Alex understood why J’onn sent her home. There was a combination of grass, dirt and soot scattered over her from head to toe.

Alex sighed, taking a swig of her drink, tilting her head and analysing herself in the mirror. Something needed to change. Without dwelling on it any longer, she pulled out her phone and dialed.

_“Alex. I wasn’t expecting your call until later. Has something happened?”_

Alex tried not to be as surprised at the genuine concern in Lena’s voice. She chuckled and replied, “Oh, you know, just another day at the office. Poison, small spaces, an explosion…”

_“Sounds rough.”_

“Yeah.”

_“Anything I can do to help?”_

“Maybe. But that can wait. Lena, I need you to help _me_ out.”

_“Of course, what do you need?”_

Alex took one last look in the mirror, the tattered hair, the overall worn out demeanour, before answering.

“A haircut.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Alex catch up.

“I can’t say hairdressing is my area of expertise but that seems to have done the job.” Lena said while Alex looked at her new haircut in the mirror.

Lena had come over to Alex’s apartment after she’d called and had made Alex take a shower before they went any further. Since then, Lena had sat her down in front of the mirror and they’d spent the best part of an hour and a half cutting and shaping Alex’s hair. Now, all she was left with was almost an undercut, the sides were cut short while it was kept long on the top.

“No, Lena, this is perfect, thank you,” Alex assured.

“You still might want to swing by a proper hairdresser just in case,” Lena said, “I don’t want to send you out to your very professional job with a bad haircut.”

“Lena, honestly, it’s fine. I’ll get us something to drink.”

She went to stand but was reminded of her growing headache as she was hit with vertigo and placed a hand on the chair to steady herself.

“Alex?”

Lena reached out her own hand of support as Alex rubbed a hand over her face to try and will the dizziness away.

“It’s fine. Just the aftereffects of-”

“That explosion you mentioned?” Lena broke in with a shake of her head, “You could have said that earlier rather than let me assault your hair with scissors. Come on.”

Lena lead Alex to the couch where she briefly left the agent before returning with her hands full.

“Here, Alex. Take this.”

Lena dropped some aspirin into Alex’s hand and left a glass of water on the table.

She continued, “Now, I looked in your fridge and you have a scary lack of food in there so I guess we’ll have to get takeout. What do you normally get? It’s on me.”

Alex opened her mouth to argue but immediately learnt that it was difficult to argue with Lena’s raised eyebrow.

“Pizza is fine. It works well cold for tomorrow too.”

They ordered for delivery and as they waited, Alex felt the days’ events catching up to her. For the second night in a row, she wanted to sleep early. Her eyes began to droop and she relaxed into the couch with a sigh.

Just a few minutes.

“Alex.”

_Really_ , Lena?

Alex lifted one eyelid open to try to glare at Lena but had a feeling that she’d failed by the smirk on her face.

“Sorry,” Lena said, “I know you’re probably tired after today but you also need food so I’m not going to let you pass out just yet. Do I need to be worried about concussion?”

Alex sat forward and shook her head, “It’s just a headache from the pressure of the explosion, it’s a common symptom.”

“Alright, well, I’ll keep you awake until the pizza arrives, we eat, you sleep, sound good?”

“Sounds great.”

Lena launched herself into a summary of her day, with Alex chipping in to comment every now and then when a revelation from the lab was particularly interesting. It was refreshing to talk about something outside of the D.E.O and Lena’s eventful day was not only a good distraction, but an interesting one at that. There was much more to being a CEO than Alex thought.

“How do you have time to breathe?” Alex asked after Lena finished.

“A lot of practice, I could say the same for you.”

There was a knock at the door and Lena was up and answering it before Alex could shift from her place on the couch. She returned two minutes later and put the pizza on the table in front of them. Alex wasted no time diving in as she was used to Kara devouring most of it before it had even made it to the table. She slowed down when she noticed Lena’s raised eyebrow had returned, this time directed at the agent’s eagerness to eat.

“You eat this stuff regularly?” Lena questioned, her expression near disgusted as she lifted a slice of the pizza and watched as the cheese stretched, “It’s so… heavy?”

Alex swallowed and shrugged one shoulder, “It’s a good staple food.”

Lena scoffed, “Hardly. Why do you have it so much?”

“It comes with the job - endless takeout. I can’t cook, anyway.” Alex shrugged.

Lena hummed in agreement, “I’m with you on that one. But you couldn’t even indulge on something simple every now and then?”

“When I say I can’t cook, I mean I can’t cook _anything_. No matter how closely I follow the recipe. It’s hopeless!”

Lena laughed at the genuine exasperation and helplessness in Alex’s voice and expression. She’d ask about the story behind that one day. For now, she let Alex eat as she picked at her own with some reluctance.

“You looked like it caused you physical pain to eat that.” Alex commented when they’d finished.

“Maybe it did. Maybe it will.” Lena frowned and placed a concerned hand over her stomach.

Alex chuckled, “You’re not going to be sick, are you? It’s not that bad, you’ll be fine.”

“That’s yet to be seen,” Lena replied before standing up, “I really should leave you to get some sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow? A little birdie told me a certain Detective Sawyer is back in town.”

_Kara. Well, she can certainly fly like a bird. Not that Lena knows that._ Alex just rolled her eyes as she followed Lena to her door.

“You mean my sister told you.”

Lena stepped into the hallway, “She’s a good reporter, what can I say.”

“She’s supposed to be reporting important things…”

“This is pretty important,” Lena insisted, “Considering you were so affected by Sam leaving, would I be wrong to say that Maggie coming back is a pretty big deal?”

Alex glanced away, feeling slightly insecure about talking to Lena about Maggie. There were a lot of emotions surrounding their relationship that Alex hadn’t even been able to compartmentalize since Maggie appeared at her door the previous night.

Lena noticed Alex’s discomfort and held her hands up, “Look, we don’t have to talk about this now. But I said I would be here for you if you need me and I’m not going to take that role lightly. Okay?”

Alex nodded, “Thank you, Lena. If you ever need anything too…”

“I know who to call,” Lena finished, “Have a good night, Agent.”

With that, Lena left Alex to sleep off her aches from the day.

Alex drifted off thinking of her new friend, the mission, and their troublesome new poisonous alien.

Alex dreamed of Maggie Sawyer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Hamilton tries to talk some sense into Alex. The hunt for the alien isn't looking too hopeful. Maggie wants to fight for Sanvers.

Alex walked in to the D.E.O early the next morning, aching body in tow. She trained for a couple of hours before seeking out Doctor Hamilton to see if Agent Harris was recovering well. She found her in her office.

“He’s doing fine. There’s no evidence of poison left in his bloodstream,” Hamilton murmured as she looked over the notes, “It’s vanished.”

Alex placed her hands on her hips and frowned, “Nothing? No side effects, no abnormalities?”

“You know I’m thorough. There’s nothing there. Shouldn’t you be happy that your agent is okay?”

“Yeah, of course, it’s just…” Alex sighed, “We have no leads. If there’s no poison left in Harris’ blood then we don’t know what we are dealing with. The entry wound is so small, it won’t give us anything. And the building we searched blew up on us.”

Now it was Hamilton’s turn to frown. She placed the notes on her desk and regarded Alex with a raised eyebrow.

Alex shifted uncomfortably at the attention, “What?”

“I didn’t have a chance to check your injuries after said explosion, Agent.”

“There were no injuries to check. The director sent me home anyway.” Alex insisted. Hamilton’s other eyebrow raised and Alex knew she wasn’t going to win this one.

“He thought you’d already been checked over,” Hamilton said before standing and gesturing with a finger for Alex to follow her, “I need you to understand this.”

They stopped outside where Harris was staying, and Alex could see Miller was also sitting by his bedside. Hamilton let Alex watch them as she carried on talking.

“I know you’re stubborn, impatient, protective, impulsive, reckless-”

“-geez, _okay_ -”

“- _and_ that can lead to some self-neglect. But I need you to look at those agents and tell me what you feel when you look at them.”

Alex wore a bewildered expression as Hamilton watched her expectantly.

“I… they’re my agents. I have a lot of respect for them and their bravery but I’d rather I didn’t put them in harm's way. They have families. I feel protective.” Alex finished with a nod which Hamilton copied.

“We’ve known each other for a long time, Alex. The way you feel about them is the same way I feel about you. All of these agents are under my care. I know what causes each scar and I do the medical tests, so I know the ugly stuff underneath, too. I need to know that stuff. I need you to understand the importance of telling me you’re okay after a mission like that. If not for yourself then for my own sanity?”

Alex understood. Years of responsibility had lead her down a path of negligence when it came to her own wellbeing. She reached out and placed her hand on Hamilton’s shoulder.

“I’ll do my best.” she promised. Hamilton smiled appreciatively, knowing it was the best she was going to get.

“Okay, I have some work to do before it gets busy around here and I believe you have an alien to catch,” Hamilton began walking back to her office, “By the way, I’m liking the hair!”

Alex spent a few minutes catching up with Harris and Miller before she found herself talking to Brainy in the main area of the D.E.O. Apparently there had been no new activity since yesterday and Alex felt her disappointment increase to frustration. 

“Wow. Nice hair, Danvers.”

Alex spun at the familiar voice. Maggie stood before her with a small smile and her arms crossed. Alex spotted a white bandage on her wrist.

“What happened to your wrist?”

“Oh, this old thing,” Maggie waved her bandaged wrist to prove it was nothing serious, “Just landed on it when you were launched into my back yesterday.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t even check that you were okay.”

“It’s fine, Danvers, you were pretty deaf,” Maggie gestured to Alex’s hair, “Really though, what inspired that?”

Alex shrugged, “I’ve wanted a change for a while, I guess. Lena was willing to help.”

Seeing Maggie’s face falter at the mention of Lena, Alex was quick to elaborate.

“Like I said before, we’re friends. Lena’s just been there.”

Maggie opened her mouth to reply, most likely with a comment about how it’s none of her business anymore, when Kara appeared by their side.

“Hey. Lena said she cut your hair,” Kara commented, “She did a good job, I love it.”

“Thanks.” Alex said, absently as she was looking at Maggie who still looked uncomfortable about Lena and Alex’s closeness. Kara sensed the atmosphere and drew their attention to the mission.

“I swept the remainder of the building this morning but there’s nothing left. Nothing there even suggests that there was a lead. I think they knew we were coming.”

Alex sighed. This meant they had no advantages. They were up against a very poisonous alien of unknown origin who had already planned and successfully executed two attacks on them. Even with everyone working on it, including a 12th level intellect, they’d hit brick wall after brick wall.

“Did J’onn get anything from the boyfriend she poisoned?”

“Indeed I did, Agent Danvers,” J’onn said to announce his arrival, “It’s not much but we could narrow down our options. He said that she shapeshifted right before he blacked out. The poison entered his bloodstream after he was scratched by her, which is very different to Agent Harris’ needle mark.”

Brainy narrowed down the alien database to poisonous shapeshifters and everyone watches as the list got shorter and shorter but still over 20 possibilities remained.

“So I guess we’re playing the waiting game?” Alex mused. She heard sounds of agreement from the group, “Then we wait. And we’ll be ready.”

XXXXXXX

Maggie was never one to dwell on anything. Life was as it was, there was nothing anyone could do once it’s done. She’d lived by that pretty well - until now. Until she saw Alex Danvers again.

She couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Of course, Maggie had missed Alex and their relationship. But she had made Alex say that they had to break up out loud for a reason. She had to hear it for it to be real. It would help her move on.

Except now she was back working with Alex and the D.E.O and she remembered what she used to have. The ‘not dwelling on anything’ rule had been thrown out the window and while Maggie was somewhat disappointed in herself for not sticking to her lifelong rule, she knew why. This wasn’t just anyone she was throwing it away for, it was the person she’d once called her _family_.

However, there was a part of her that didn’t want the rejection again. Alex wouldn’t just give up on kids now just because Maggie asked her nicely. She’d asked nicely before, she’d begged, and it had ended anyway.

Maybe she just needed some more closure. A better ending.

That’s why she was actively seeking Alex, finding her in the armoury.

“Danvers.”

Alex’s head whipped up from where she was checking the weaponry. She seemed startled to see Maggie approach but quickly recovered.

“Hey, Sawyer. What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you were up for hanging out. I know you’re busy so we can make it productive?” Maggie hated how the suggestion sounded so uncertain on her lips. She’d only been thinking about it non-stop for the last _48 hours._

Alex did look surprised but replied, “Sure. Want to train with me?”

Oh. Maggie wasn’t ready for _that_. Training with Alex when they were together had always lead to a different kind of exercise when they got to the apartment.

“I’m more of a guns kind of girl myself.” she said.

Maggie felt her own lips twitch upwards as Alex shot her a grin and spoke, “Yes you are.”

She continued, “In that case, there’s a lot of stuff here that needs to be sorted out. Everything has to be in order for when we need it.”

Maggie nodded and watched Alex lift several cases of weapons onto the table.

“J’onn mentioned that the D.E.O are going non-lethal with weapons.” Maggie observed as she saw Alex handle an unfamiliar looking gun.

“We’re trying to make the transition still. It’s been difficult to convince some people and, as you can see, we still have some lethal weapons on site.” Alex informed, gesturing to some of the guns that had pouches of bullets next to them.

“What’s your preference?” Maggie inquired.

“Me? I’m with J’onn,” Alex confirmed, “Kara has helped me see that lethal force should be the last resort. Although it’s helped that Winn made me this before he left.”

Alex reached behind her back and held her gun up.

“It’s great - it’s magnetic, can you believe that? - I’ve only just got my head around the technical side of it.” Alex said.

“Well, you could explain it to me?” Maggie asked, tentatively. She didn’t want to push anything but was relieved to see Alex nod.

She watched Alex’s eyes light up at the prospect of explaining the science to her, the way she began throwing words that Maggie had to guess the meaning of in context. The way that Maggie knew she would listen and nod along anyway. It was as she noticed how it all still worked between them, despite everything, that she realised.

She wasn’t ready to leave Alex Danvers behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think about Supercorp - yes or no?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out about the new alien and a game night is in the works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is late and a bit uninspiring but it bridges to the next chapter where we'll have game night and some Sanvers drama...

Alex and Maggie finished sorting through the armoury when the message came through.

“What’s going on?” Alex demanded as she and Maggie reached the screens that showed the chaos erupting on the streets of National City.

“I think we’ve found our target,” J’onn said as he looked on. The alien seemed to be causing as much destruction as possible without injuring civilians, “She wants attention. Let’s give her what she wants.”

The agents, along with Supergirl and Guardian, made their way down to the city. Supergirl and J’onn immediately got to work stabilising the scene as cars were thrown weightlessly to the side. Agents ushered civilians out of harm’s way and the alien focused on the new arrivals.

Alex stepped out of her vehicle and got a proper look at the alien for the first time.

Overall, she could be likened to a human. But when they looked closer, they could see the unusual white glow in her eyes and the way her skin was too smooth, without blemishes or veins showing. Her most noticeable feature was her pointed nails, and Alex could guess that they’d just found the source of the poison.

Supergirl landed in front of the agents, with J’onn and Guardian just behind her. Before any of them could make any moves, the alien began to speak.

“My name is Oda Zoll of the planet Zoll,” she started. Her voice was commanding had a depth to it that captured everyone’s full attention, “I am the last surviving Zoll from my planet. I bring you here to tell you to prepare for the end of yours. It is in my best interest to ensure that this planet is the next to be destroyed.”

Alex heard Maggie mutter ‘that’s what they all say’ and in any other circumstances she would have laughed and agreed. But, this alien, Oda, had already tried to kill them twice and almost succeeded.

“Why this planet?” Supergirl demanded.

Oda simply shrugged, as if it was just another day’s work for her. Maybe it was.

“The prophecy has spoken. Planet Earth is next. You have been warned.”

“What prophecy? Wait!” Supergirl shouted at thin air as Oda bent her knees and leapt upwards, ascending quickly as she disappeared into the vast sky. J’onn grabbed Supergirl’s arm to prevent her from following.

“There are too many unknowns, Supergirl. We will strike next time.” he vowed, “Let’s get back to the D.E.O.”

XXXXXXX

“Brainy, tell us you know something about this prophecy.” J’onn said as everyone regrouped at the D.E.O.

“I’ll tell you about Oda Zoll instead. The prophecy - I have never heard of. But the Zolls? Everyone knows about that story,” At everyone’s blank faces, he added, “Well, everyone in the future knows about that story.”

“Care to share it?” Alex prompted.

Brainy nodded, “Right. Zoll was a planet known for tradition and ceremony. They didn’t practice traditions as a planet, but rather in their families. There were accusations of brainwashing towards certain families who worshipped the extremes, such as allowing death when it could be prevented.”

“That’s awful.” Maggie commented.

“Indeed. But there’s more. For our alien to claim that she is the last Zoll is quite significant - Zoll was destroyed. No one knows what truly happened but the rumours are that riots broke out over disputes between families. The rest is history. Well, the rest was history. Now…”

“Now we figure out how Oda is the last Zoll and what the prophecy is all about,” J’onn intervened, “I want all anti-poison treatments ready, protective gear, and I want as much as we can find about Zolls on the database.”

Brainy held up a finger, “Ah, you see, Director, there is little to no information on your database about Zoll. It seems that the history of Zoll only comes to light in the future.”

Kara frowned, “That doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t we have heard about this planet by now if everyone knows about it in the future?”

“The future is changeable. Not entirely, but it is possible. Maybe whatever happens here will affect how much we know about the Zolls in the future.” Brainy said.

J’onn sighed, “All we can do now is prepare. Brainy can give us as much as he knows… and we anticipate another attack. We’ve had our warning.”

There were murmurs as everyone engaged in conversation and digested the new information.

Alex felt her phone buzz in her back pocket and pulled it out.

_Luthor: Hey Alex. You’re probably busy at the D.E.O but if you see this before you leave for Kara’s game night would you be able to pick up some drinks? I’m going to be stuck at work late._

Alex squinted in confusion at the message. Game night?

“Kara, you’re having a game night tonight?” Alex asked her sister.

Kara nodded and shrugged, “I know there’s a lot going on here but we’ll be available if something happens. We’ve lost a couple of members but…”

She paused, looking past Alex to Maggie and her eyes lit up.

“Maggie!” Kara moved up next to the detective, “You should come to game night tonight. We have no Winn, and Mon-el even came sometimes so we’ll be two people down. It’ll be fun!”

Alex froze. This was bad. Was this bad? She and Maggie hadn’t exactly been cold towards each other but they also didn’t seem ready to hang out like they used to. The last thing they needed was to be thrown together to get close again. Maybe they could be friends? No, friendship would be a dangerous road to go down in their situation.

“Kara-”

“I’ll be there.”

Alex stopped again upon hearing Maggie’s response. She almost sounded excited, and her reply definitely wasn’t forced. She even shot an enthusiastic smile Alex’s way as Kara engulfed her in a grateful hug. What did that mean? It couldn’t be to spend time with Alex, right? No, Maggie had been friends with everyone else, she had a right to hang out with them too.

One thing was for sure, tonight would be a very interesting night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Game night is tense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was supposed to be an extra bit of Sanvers at the end, but that will have to wait until Ch9 because I wanted to get this up today rather than wait another two days.

The hours leading up to game night passed too quickly. Alex took her time leaving the D.E.O, picking up some drinks on Lena’s behalf, and stopping by her own apartment before reluctantly arriving at Kara’s.

Maggie was already there.

Because of course she was.

Alex ditched the drinks, grabbing one for herself and slumping onto the couch. Kara gave her a weary look before jumping in and addressing the group. She’d invited James and Vasquez as well as Lena and Maggie, with the former not having arrived yet.

“...for some reason, Brainy didn’t want to come.” Kara’s musings brought Alex into the conversation.

“Maybe that’s because he is a 12th level intellect and would beat us all.” Alex suggested.

James nodded, “Our mediocre games would be boring for Brainy.”

“I wonder what games they have in the future…” Vasquez commented. Alex let their discussion fizzle away as she tried not to think about the woman sitting opposite her.

Maggie was engaging with the group as if she’d never left. She always had a way with people that allowed her to get along with most people she met, unlike Alex. But Alex caught her eyes a few times as Maggie spoke to the others, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she wasn’t here just to socialise.

An hour later, Kara was up and bounding towards the door two seconds before anyone else heard the knock, signalling Lena’s arrival. Alex watched as Lena stepped in, glancing over everyone and smiling in greeting, as she usually did. This time, however, her eyes darted back to Maggie and they widened a little, meeting Alex’s eyes now and gesturing to the kitchen area with a slight incline of her head.

Alex met Lena at the fridge as they pretended to get drinks.

“Maggie’s here.” Lena stated. Alex rolled her eyes.

“Aren’t you bright?” she replied, sarcastically.

Lena bit her lip, “Judging by that reply, you’re not entirely comfortable with her being here. You don’t need to be short with me, Alex.”

Alex knew she was right. But they had already been standing at the fridge for too long now, and Alex was too conscious of the lack of walls in the apartment to prevent their conversation reaching the group. She knew Kara was probably eavesdropping from the way she kept glancing at them with the crinkle in her forehead.

“Sorry. It just threw me off that she seemed too eager to hang out… with all of us. I don’t want to be too friendly, or too cold, or too-”

“Alex, stop,” Lena took hold of Alex’s arm as she closed the fridge and pulled her over to get herself a glass, “You’re allowed to feel confused. Just be yourself.”

“I was ready to confess my love for Sam before she left. I was actually going to do that. Now, Maggie is back, she is _here_ , and it’s reminded me that I’m not over her.” Alex stressed, taking a long sip of her drunk.

“I don’t want to make any assumptions here, but it sounds to me like you cared a lot for Sam, you got along with Ruby really well, and you loved the idea of that being your life. But what you felt for Sam didn’t come close to what you feel for Maggie.”

Alex was about to correct Lena’s use of the present form of ‘feel’ but stopped herself. Lena was right.

“You may be right,” Alex said pointing a finger at Lena, “But that doesn’t mean any of what I’m feeling is right.”

Lena watched Alex return to her seat without saying another word and could only hope that the night wasn’t going to go as badly as her gut told her it would.

XXXXXXX

Maggie wasn’t stupid.

She was a _detective_.

She’d been trained in body language, and Alex’s was closed off and uncomfortable, especially whenever Maggie attempted to begin a conversation between them. It didn’t help that Lena would try to either distract Maggie or drag Alex away every time she tried to talk to her.

Maggie glanced up at the footsteps signifying Alex’s return from the bathroom. The agent wandered into the kitchen and Maggie took her chance to talk to her while Lena was distracted with the others.

She closed in on Alex, who appeared to be moving on to a stronger drink as she poured dark liquid into her glass. Maggie tried to fight the instinct to take the drink away but she remembered how far they’d gotten in decreasing Alex's alcohol intake, especially when she was stressed. She didn’t want Alex to throw that all away, if she hadn’t already.

“Danvers…” Maggie murmured as she eased into space next to Alex.

Alex looked up and nodded in acknowledgement. Maggie was sure she wouldn’t say anything else when Alex pulled another glass towards her and began pouring.

“You want one too? I know it’s not your usual or your favourite - it’s mine - but also I haven’t been keeping tabs on you so maybe you like this now. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m deciding for you-”

“Alex… come on, I know you don’t really want this,” Maggie said, ignoring the rambling as she tried to pry the glass from Alex’s hands, “Whatever’s bothering you, you can talk-”

Alex pulled back, drink still in hand but it was sloshing dangerously as she moved.

“No, Maggie. You don’t- _you_ can’t talk to me about this anymore.”

Maggie startled at the sudden change in Alex’s demeanour as she tensed her shoulders and held her hands up. Her eyes were wild and desperate and dark and guarded all at the same time, leaving Maggie unsure.

“Danvers-”

“Detective? I think you should take a step back.”

Maggie turned to see Lena looking cautiously between herself and Alex, who was refilling her glass by the sink now, and resisted the urge to scoff and roll her eyes. If anyone could figure out what was going on with Alex, it would be Maggie herself, not her new bestie.

“I appreciate that, Luthor, but I’ve got this.”

“No. You haven’t,” Lena sighed and elaborated as Maggie fixed her with an offended eyebrow, “Look, I know we don’t know each other particularly well, but I’ve really gotten to know Alex better lately, and what she’s struggling with. You can’t help her with this one. Not you.”

Maggie’s face dropped as she realised the problem.

“It’s me, isn’t it?”

Lena looked away.

“You’ve done nothing wrong-”

Maggie gave Lena an incredulous look, “I know. She left me. I don’t need _you_ to tell me that.”

By now, the others on the couch had sensed the tension and watched as Maggie grabbed her things and left the apartment. The slam of the door made everyone flinch.

Kara shot up and would have flown over to her sister if it didn’t reveal her identity to Lena. She placed a hesitant hand on Alex’s arm. The room was a freeze frame as no one moved before Alex seemed to snap out of her frozen state.

She slammed her glass onto the counter, luckily not smashing the glass, and took off after Maggie, ignoring the protests of Lena and Kara.

She had to make this right.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The (almost) official beginning of a bumpy, complex, Sanvers journey.

“Maggie.”

“Maggie. Stop. Please.”

“Maggie. Where are you going?”

Alex stopped stumbling down the street after Maggie as the woman in question halted and turned.

“I’m going to the bar, maybe to find someone who actually wants to be around me.” Maggie bit.

Alex scraped a hand through her hair and winced, knowing she deserved the coldness after dodging Maggie like she embodied some kind of disease.

“I-I am sorry but please just let me explain.” Alex stammered out as Maggie looked two seconds away from continuing on down the street.

“Your guard dog explained well enough-”

“-I get that you’re angry, but don’t take it out on Lena-”

“-she seems to think she knows best! For us! Alex, no one but us will know how to manage our relationship. If it is distressing enough to have me around that you are drinking so much then I’d rather leave.”

The end of Maggie’s sentence was punctuated by a smashing bottle that caught Alex’s attention. The alcohol had put her on edge, along with the imminent threat that the Zoll alien could strike at any moment, and her eyes rapidly searched for the source of the noise. She found comfort in that it was just a group of people leaving a bar but as her attention refocused on Maggie, the other woman had turned and was marching away.

“Maggie. Maggie, wait.” Alex called and jogged a few steps to catch up and walk by Maggie’s side.

“Let’s just talk somewhere. Please?” Alex tried again, weaving through a group of people in her haste to keep up. Maggie sighed and slowed down.

“You’re so stubborn, you know that?” she mumbled.

Alex nodded quickly, “When it comes to you, I need to be. Please, let’s talk?”

Maggie made no move to rush away again, and Alex took that as her answer and led them across the street to the park. It was getting late, with the lights from the city giving the skyline a bright hue against the darkness, and Alex wished they could enjoy the view under better circumstances.

They sat, arms length, on a bench that faced the horizon, leaving the city behind them. Alex was unsure how to approach their conversation, her brain still filtering through the units of alcohol she had consumed. She was relieved of the burden when Maggie spoke a moment later.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Alex,” she began, sounding hesitant herself, “Not tonight. Not ever. But I might leave out some of the truth if it means you’ll be protected from it.”

Alex frowned. Maggie was vague, speaking in riddles that she couldn’t work out.

“What do you mean?”

Maggie shifted, twisting to face Alex, “The alien we’re going after, I told you I used to work with her?” Alex nodded as she remembered the night Maggie appeared at her door, “I didn’t just work with her. She and I, we, well…”

Alex sensed where this was going, “Just say it, Maggie.”

Maggie held Alex’s gaze, “We went out, I guess. It was more of a physical thing than an emotional connection, but that’s the main reason why I’m working with you guys rather than someone else from the NCPD.”

Alex blew out a breath as she took in the new information. She sat restlessly on the bench, trying to figure out what to say back.

“J’onn knows?”

Maggie nodded.

“How long? If you don’t mind me asking…”

Maggie nodded again, “It’s fine. It wasn’t too long. Maybe a month? She started going out with her boyfriend a few weeks ago, we were together before that.”

“I mean, that’s cool, you’re not obliged… you don’t owe me any explanations,” Alex cleared her throat to mumble out her next words, “You’re not the only one who, uh, you know…”

“You’ve been with someone else, Danvers?” Maggie prompted, a slight smirk on her face despite the pang she felt at the thought.

Alex thought back to the events with Sara Lance and stammered out a response.

“I, maybe, possibly, kind of slept with an assassin.”

Maggie gaped, “What?”

Alex shrugged, “It’s a story for another day. Right now, I think we should talk about what happened at Kara’s.”

Maggie made a noise of agreement but twisted back to face forwards and look anywhere else but Alex’s face. Alex took this as the best opening she was going to get.

“Firstly, Lena was just trying to help me. Be mad at me for putting her in that position, not her,” Alex said, “Secondly, I don’t want you to think I don’t want you around. We both know I’m bad with alcohol. None of that is knew or because of you. In fact… I was worried because, for some reason, I want you to stick around. But I know that would be bad for both of us because of the whole kids thing even though…”

“Alex, stop for a sec,” Maggie interrupted gently, still looking off to the distance, “Admitting this doesn’t mean we would have to get into a serious relationship and talk about the serious things like kids and a wedding-”

“-Maggie. I was going to say even though my view on kids has changed.”

That got the attention of the cop as she whipped her head around, “What? Really? Mine too.”

Alex frowned, “You don’t have to say that just for me.”

Maggie scoffed, “You don’t think I would’ve done that before we broke up? So we wouldn’t have to endure any of this.”

Alex remained silent. Did this mean they had both gone too far in the opposite direction now?

“Do you not want kids anymore?” Maggie asked.

“I do, maybe? Just not now and not soon. Things have happened and my perspective changed. Do you want kids now? You were really against that.”

“Like you said, things have happened and my perspective changed. I know I’m allowed to not want kids, there’s no shame in that. But it didn’t feel right walking away from us for that reason.”

Alex slowly nodded, weighing up Maggie’s words against her own in her head.

“What are you thinking about, Danvers?”

“That maybe this could work. We could... try again. What are you thinking about?” Alex asked back, wrapping her arms around herself against the bite of the cold that had settled. She’d forgotten to bring a coat in her rush to go after Maggie earlier.

Maggie noticed and mentally shook away any remaining hesitancy. She slid closer to Alex, taking off her jacket and put it around her shoulders.

“I’m thinking about how I should take you on a date.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie is unsure that Alex wants this to work as much as she does.

Alex was always hesitant when it came to happiness, especially her own. Each joyous moment can easily be shattered with a heartbreaking one, and Alex had experienced this often enough. Maggie had been an example of this from the past, and the last thing she wanted was a repeat of that.

She’d been taking extra precaution in the days leading up to their date to make sure she didn’t mess anything up. It had been quiet at the D.E.O, which led to suspicions about the whereabouts of their most recent alien, but Alex kept herself busy training for the fights to come. Whenever she saw Maggie, she’d keep their conversation quick and blamed her work as the reason she couldn’t stop and talk. In Alex’s mind, she was simply making sure she didn’t say something stupid so they at least made it to the day of their date.

In Maggie’s mind, it felt like Alex was doing everything in her power to avoid her. Had she changed her mind about giving them another chance?

Apparently, her troubles were showing on her face as Kara leaned against the D.E.O computers wearing a questioning eyebrow.

“What?” Maggie mumbled, still moping about Alex’s behaviour over the two days since their talk in the park.

“You have my crinkle going on. What’s up?” Kara asked.

Maggie sighed, “Your sister. As usual.”

“What has she done now? Broke a punch bag? Made someone cry? Oh no, don’t tell me she shot one of the guns _at_ someone again… tell me it was one of the non-lethal ones at least.”

“What? No, none of those things. She’s been avoiding me.” Maggie complained.

“Oh,” Kara said, surprised, “But you guys made up. At least, that’s the vibe I’ve been getting.”

“We have a date planned for tomorrow, Kara. I thought we’d made up too. I need her to be honest with me if she’s having second thoughts but I can’t keep her alone for more than a few seconds before she dashes off.”

Kara slipped into the chair next to Maggie and faced her as she swung slightly side to side.

“Alex thinks differently to most people when it comes to relationships - you know that - and she can think that doing one thing means something that it doesn’t. I bet she thinks avoiding you before your date is some kind of romantic gesture.”

Kara sat back, thinking her reasoning sounded valid. She hoped to see Maggie look less stressed but caught her disbelieving expression and backtracked.

“I guess that does sound stupid, doesn’t it?”

“Just a bit, Kara. Just a bit.”

“Listen, I’ll talk to Alex and make sure she clears this up. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.” Kara assured as she stood up. Maggie followed her lead.

“If you say so.”

XXXXXX

Lena found herself taking her lunch for once as she walked through the halls of the D.E.O. Kara had called her and explained her conversation with Maggie about Alex. Lena listened patiently as Kara rambled about having a non-work related emergency or she’d be talking to Alex herself before telling Kara not to worry, she’d see what she could do.

That is how she came to be knocking on Alex’s lab door, entering when she was waved at by Alex.

“Hey, Lena,” Alex greeted while squinting intently at something on her desk. There was another person in the room that Lena didn’t recognise, “Can I help you with something? Are you okay?”

Lena moved to lean against one of lab counters, mindful not to disturb any of the materials and papers scattered around, “I’m perfectly fine, Alex, it’s you I came to talk about… maybe in private?”

Lena sent a pointed look towards the third person in the lab and Alex caught on.

“Oh, Lena, this is Agent Miller. We were just working on this recent case… but maybe you could lend me a hand instead. You’re pretty handy in a lab. No offense, Miller.”

Agent Miller stood from his stool, “I can take a hint. It’s my lunch break anyway. Nice to meet you, Lena is it?”

Lena shook Miller’s offered hand, “Nice to meet you, too.”

Alex wave a distracted hand in Miller’s direction as her attention was again taken by the work in front of her, “He’s one of my best… great agent… reliable...um, yeah…”

Miller rolled his eyes, “Thanks for the thrilling introduction. I’ll come back later.”

“Thank you, Miller!” Alex called and the lab door slipped shut once again.

Lena watched the exchange with a smirk, “You really know how to make a person feel special.”

Alex placed a hand over her chest in mock thanks, “I try. I try.”

“Do you try for Maggie?”

Lena was all for trying the slow approach when the question tumbled from her lips. She internally grimaced, thinking the worst if Alex was second guessing her date with Maggie as she’d react badly. Instead, Alex’s head shot up, work now forgotten, with wide eyes.

“Of course. What kind of question is that? Look, Lena, I know you two don’t get along…”

“I don’t have a problem with the detective,” Lena said, defensively, “But from what I’m hearing it seems like you might.”

“I don’t know what you’ve heard-”

“You’ve been avoiding her, that’s what I’ve heard,” Lena said, “I have ears everywhere.”

“Kara. You have Kara. She tells you everything,” _Everything apart from her secret identity_ , Alex thought, “And she sent you to do what exactly?”

Lena rolled her eyes, “She was going to come herself, I’ll have you know. Alex, why are you avoiding Maggie?”

“I’m not! You make it sound like we’re in high school!” Alex insisted.

“Well, if you’re avoiding her…”

“ _I’m not_ ,” Alex repeated, “Seriously, what is this about? What did Kara say?”

Lena pulled up a stool to sit on the other side of Alex’s desk, “Maggie said to her that you’ve been dodging her and she thinks you’re not up for trying again.”

Lena watched as Alex frowned, clearly not aware of the effect she was having on Maggie.

“Just talk me through your mindset about Maggie at the moment.”

Alex pulled a face, “You’re not my therapist.”

“You don’t _have_ a therapist.”

“I don’t need one.”

“That’s debatable, but off topic.”

Alex crossed her arms and looked to the ceiling, “Okay. So we have a date tomorrow. I don’t want to mess it all up in the meantime so maybe I’ve been a bit distant.”

“Oh, Alex, I hate to say it but you might just be messing it all up without saying a thing.” Lena said with a sympathetic grimace. Alex lifted her arms to cover her face and groaned loudly into them in frustration.

“I need to talk to her,” Alex said, then again with more determination, “I need to talk to her. Now.”

Alex was out of her seat and halfway to the door when Lena grabbed her arm, “Wait. We’re not done.”

“Lena, I really should-”

“Just a minute, okay?” Lena continued when Alex nodded, “I know you still miss Sam, you and her had a great connection. You’re not… hesitant about Maggie because of your feelings for Sam, are you?”

Alex was quiet and for a terrible moment, Lena thought she’d struck a nerve of truth. Then, Alex shook her head, her eyes set with honesty.

“No. Maggie coming back… she’s something else, Lena. I need to fix this.”

Lena let go of her arm with a knowing smile, “I thought so. Go, sort things out.”

XXXXXXX

Maggie rushed past agents in the D.E.O, keeping her head down as her brain tried to process what she’d just heard.

_“I know you still miss Sam, you and her had a great connection. You’re not… hesitant about Maggie because of your feelings for Sam are you?”_

Alex’s silence had been confirmation enough, and Maggie couldn’t get out of there quicker.

She’d gone about the rest of her day with a sinking feeling that Alex would walk up to her at any moment and tell her she didn’t want to go through with it again. That would be bad enough, but if it was because Alex had unresolved feelings for someone else then it would be doubly painful.

Maggie stepped out of her car, figuring she would get inside, pour something to drink and try to forget. Then a thought struck her. _That’s what Alex would do._

She tapped out a message on her phone, leaving herself no time to back out from her decision before jumping back in her car and driving to her destination. She couldn’t let this drag itself out. She had to know tonight.

XXXXXXX

Alex had no luck finding Maggie after her talk with Lena, and thought she’d have to wait until the next day when a message popped up on her phone.

_Maggie: Meet me at the alien bar._

It was slightly ominous and Alex fought off the seed of doubt it had planted in her until she reached the bar, seeking Maggie out on one of the stools.

“Hey, uh, I got your message,” Alex tried, expecting some form of positive greeting but instead getting a distracted nod from Maggie. _It must be because I’ve ignored her lately_ , Alex thought with a frown.

Maggie pushed a glass with her finger towards Alex, “We need to talk.”

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to find you all day…”

“No,” Maggie held up a hand, “You need to- you need to let me go first.”

“Okay,” Alex said, not liking the tightness of Maggie’s words, how they clipped instead of flowing. Something else wasn’t right.

Maggie finished her drink in one go, slamming the glass down with a shake of her head, “You know, I really thought this would work…but it only works with honesty. The last time I fought for you I told you that we should kiss the girls we want to kiss,” she chuckled humorlessly, “It’s no secret that I want to kiss you. But I can’t do that to myself if you’re not in this with me. Alex… who is Sam? Do you love her?”

Alex’s eyes widened in realisation. _She heard. She heard and she left before she could hear the rest. No, no, no._

“Maggie, I-”

_CRASH_. The tail end of Alex’s sentence was lost to the chaos that penetrated the bar. Once again, there were people running for cover as the alien bar was targeted. Maggie and Alex drew their guns, searching for the source of the disruption. Alex felt her anger multiply as she caught a glimpse of the enemy, they’d been waiting for her to strike all day and she chose _now_ -

-Oda Zoll decided to officially begin her demolition of planet Earth.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit more alien drama and another old face returns.

Alex and Maggie ducked behind the pool table amid the chaos. They weren’t going to be there for long, judging by the rate Oda was throwing the chairs, tables, anything she could get her hands on to make the loudest noise possible. She wanted to be heard.

“A building full of aliens… beautiful, beautiful aliens. Such a shame Earth is your home, it’s so weak, it’s _dying_.” Oda cackled, “Your last chance is with me!”

“Never!” came a faint cry from a corner of the bar.

The only response from Oda was a hiss, followed by a haunting shriek of agony before it abruptly cut off. Maggie’s heart ached for those she’d come to see as friends in the bar and she wanted nothing more than to run to their aid. Alex’s voice interrupted her thoughts and allowed the pained sounds to fade slightly.

“Well, if we don’t get out of this one, I need you to know that I’m not in love with Sam. I really wanted to go on that date with you,” Alex said, breathlessly, “We can still go if- crap!”

She was cut off by the pool table being hazardously flung to the side, leaving them without cover. She spun and pointed her gun and Oda faced them with the same unsympathetic expression she worse, despite the destruction she was causing.

“Ah. Humans,” Oda’s smile widened as she looked at Maggie, “Hello, Detective.”

She walked towards them and Alex knew the worst thing she could do was try to stop her with no backup, even as the finger on her trigger twitched. So she watched as Oda stood before Maggie, one of her hands reaching out to touch Maggie’s face, her pointed nails threatening to break her skin.

Maggie kept her expression neutral while staring Oda down, “Andrea.”

Oda pulled back and laughed, “You can call me by my real name now, my love. My Earth life is long in the past. It’s time the people of this world honored the name of its destroyer,” she reached again, taking Maggie’s hand this time, “You can always choose the right side. Join me.”

“Get off her!” Alex hissed. Oda tensed, turning her head to lock eyes with Alex. The agent was known to be able to hold a glare but there was something dangerous about the look in Oda’s eyes that made her want to look away. She didn’t.

“I have had enough of you people… _interfering_ ,” she growled before snatching her hand away from Maggie’s, “I’m done talking!”

Similarly to their last encounter, Oda fled upwards, taking a chunk of the ceiling with her. Alex grabbed Maggie and tried to cover her as debris fell towards them. After double-checking Oda wasn’t an immediate threat to them, Alex slammed her comms into her ear and began shouting down the line, hoping it was connected.

“I don’t know if you guys have picked this up yet, but there’s a _little_ problem here.”

Alex waited for a painful few seconds before she heard a response crackle through. It was Brainy.

“Right here, Agent Danvers. Backup is on the way to your location as we speak.”

Alex sighed and shared a look with Maggie, following the detective out onto the streets where they could hear the fight escalating as more people became involved.

“How long is that backup, Brainy?” Alex shouted as she took in the scale of their problem. Humans and aliens alike were either running away or fighting, and some had fallen victim to Oda’s poison. Alex also noted some people fighting _each other_ , and made a note to mention it to J’onn when they were further away from this mess.

“It should be right with you, Agent.”

Just as Alex was going to reply with a comment about there being no one arriving, the place was flooded as their backup arrived. Alex glanced at them, poised to throw her usual orders, when she noticed something was off.

They weren’t D.E.O.

They were military.

XXXXXXX

Alex was still confused as she arrived back at the D.E.O with Maggie to find J’onn waiting for them.

“Why has the military taken over? Where was my backup? Where were _my _agents?” Alex demanded.__

__“Agent Danvers, I am your superior-”_ _

__“I know!” Alex took a deep breath to compose herself, “But this alien is not going to stop until she succeeds and we need to be on the same page.”_ _

__J’onn gave a minute nod of his head but the next words out of his mouth weren’t what either of the women wanted to hear._ _

__“You and Detective Sawyer are coming with me to debrief.”_ _

__It only took seconds for Alex to fire up again, “No, we have an active scene out there. There’s no time!”_ _

__Maggie placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder, “What Alex means is you know everything we know. The official stuff is going to have to wait.”_ _

__J’onn crossed his arms as Alex nodded in agreement, “We’re going back out as soon as you inform me as to why we have company.”_ _

__“Maybe I can help you with that.”_ _

__Alex froze. It wasn’t J’onn who spoke. She knew that voice._ _

__Lucy freaking Lane._ _

__“This is a joke.” Alex mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them, Lucy Lane was stood, hand on hip and smirk on face._ _

__“It’s not joke that there’s an alien about to destroy the planet and we just saved you from becoming one of the first to go.” Lucy said._ _

__“We had it covered.”_ _

__“You did, huh?” Lucy scoffed with a raised eyebrow. Alex ignored her._ _

__“You asked her here?” Alex asked, looking back to J’onn._ _

__“When an alien is threatening to destroy this planet with the legitimate means to do so, I think calling in Lane was a smart idea,” J’onn said, “And she’ll be here until we stop this.”_ _

__Maggie, ever the patient person, stuck out a hand, “Lane, was it? I’m Detective Maggie Sawyer, NCPD. I’m working with the D.E.O on this case.”_ _

__Lucy shook the offered hand, “Good to meet you,” she looked from Maggie to Alex, “Look at us. We’ll all be working together for the foreseeable future - a formidable trio! I, for one, can’t wait.”_ _

__Alex rolled her eyes, “Enough with the fake enthusiasm, Luce.”_ _

__Maggie frowned at the use of the nickname, “I don’t get it, are you guys friends or not?”_ _

__“I suppose we are, as much as it _pains _me to say. We just had a less than ideal beginning,” Alex said, “Anyway, if we’re good here, I’d love to get back out there.”__ __

__

____Lucy raised a finger, “Agent Danvers, always so eager to run head first into danger. First, you two are going to change into actual gear so you’re not straight back here with an injury. Go.”_ _ _ _

__

____“She’s bossy,” Maggie commented as they walked away from Lucy and J’onn._ _ _ _

__

____“She outranks me. There’s nothing I can do but hope she’s not too demanding.” Alex said with a dejected groan._ _ _ _

__

____Maggie chuckled. She stuck an arm out to gesture Alex to the side of the corridor._ _ _ _

__

____“Look, I don’t know how long it will be until we get a proper break again with all that’s going on so… I just wanted to address what you said back at the bar,” Maggie began, “You said you don’t have feelings for Sam and that you really want to go on that date?”_ _ _ _

__

____Alex nodded, “It’s all truth.”_ _ _ _

__

____Maggie smiled, appreciatively, “Well, we still need to talk about some things but I’m guessing I reacted too soon when I heard you and Lena talking about Sam. So let’s try again?”_ _ _ _

__

____Alex took Maggie’s hands in hers in a gesture of promise._ _ _ _

__

____“The next chance we get, even if it’s just for an hour, we’ll be going on that long awaited date.”_ _ _ _

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll most likely be adding to Alex and Lucy's backstory besides what was on the show. Their friendship here will be closer than on the show back in season 1!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanvers, Sanvers, Sanvers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long!  
> It's late, it's not great, I own all the mistakes.

Their next chance for a date didn’t come for another week. Another week of protecting the city from Oda’s attacks as her army grew stronger robbed everyone of their time and energy. The only “free” time they had was used for sleeping before they were out on the streets for the rest of the day. Alex and Maggie had seen a lot of each other - just not in the relaxing way they wanted to.

Alex was currently at the D.E.O talking to Lucy and J’onn after pulling an all-nighter watching the CCTV from around the city. As the morning came, the outbreaks of violence became more frequent, and Alex was on her way to gearing up when she was called to talk to the two superiors.

“Overnight report?” J’onn inquired.

Alex grimaced, “No sign of Oda herself but there was a lot of violence from groups who have taken her side. I saw at least 10 more fatalities.”

J’onn bowed his head at the news while Lucy shook hers with a firm frown. Alex knew how they felt.

“She’s recruiting aliens,” Alex noted with a shake of her head, “How do we reach them before she does? How do we reassure them that they don’t need to side with her to have hope? What if people start thinking that all aliens are out to get them again? Even Supergirl… if Kara becomes a target-”

“Alex,” Lucy interrupted softly, “Let’s just answer one thing at a time, okay?”

J’onn nodded in agreement, “We can’t save everyone. It’s getting to the point where all we can focus on is damage control while we find a way to get to Oda. To do that, we need to be focused, rested, rational…”

Alex knew where this was going. She’d had the talk often enough.

“I’m not taking a day off.”

“Of course you’re not. I was going to suggest half a day and to take Detective Sawyer with you. You could both use it.”

Alex thought for a moment. If she didn’t take this offer, there was less chance of Maggie taking it for herself, too. 

“Alright, we’ll be back for the afternoon.” Alex said to the approval of Lucy and J’onn who wasted no time in shooing her out of the D.E.O.

XXXXXXX

Alex called Maggie once she’d arrived back at her apartment to tell her they were both on orders to take the morning off. Maggie was grumbling about not liking orders from Alex’s boss rather than her own until Alex invited her over.

“Since most of the city is out of action, my place is the best I can offer for our date,” Alex had said, “That is if you’re still up for it.”

Maggie’s tone lightened as she replied that she’d be there as soon as she could be. Alex let her phone drop onto the couch as she took in the state of her apartment. Considering how busy she’d been, there had been no time to clean anything, and the little jobs had all piled up so the place looked less than presentable.

A pile of clothes was unceremoniously heaped on the floor, waiting to be washed. Alex would come home, change, sleep, then change into new clothes. There was no time to keep to the usual schedule. On the counter, there was a cluster of bottles and glasses gathered - it wasn’t dangerous amounts, but she couldn’t let Maggie see it. It wasn’t binge drinking but enough to take the edge off the stress of the situation. On top of those jobs, the place needed a general lift as it hadn’t seen daylight or an open window in too long.

Hoping Maggie was making a few stops on her journey, Alex started by opening a window to let some air in the stuffy room before clearing the kitchen. She swept the bottles into a trash bag, washed the glasses in the sink and pushed everything else out of sight. By the time she’d finished, there was a knock at the door.

Alex had opened the door halfway when she realised she was still in her D.E.O clothes and in no way dressed for a ‘date’.

“I look like crap,” she mumbled, forgetting that the door was already swinging open and had now fully revealed Maggie on the other side.

“For a second there I was worried this was a work date,” Maggie spoke up. Alex’s head shot up.

“Yeah, sorry. Come in,” Alex beckoned. Maggie did, letting the door wing shut behind her, “I’ll change into something that doesn’t scream D.E.O.”

Maggie took a seat on the couch and waited until Alex came back, wearing jeans and a jumper. She looked flustered as she gave Maggie a hesitant smile and the detective couldn’t help the way her heart fluttered at the familiarity of it all.

“You want a drink? Is it too early for alcohol?” Alex joked before wincing, “That was supposed to be a joke.”

“I know,” Maggie said, “They say it’s good when you can joke about it, right?”

Alex nodded as she sat back on the couch, “Yes, yeah, they do. I just didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I know how hard I made things for you at times.”

Alex thought back to the times when Maggie had to clear up her mess when she got too drunk after the harder days. It had never been anything too horrific and it hadn’t been the make-or-break of their relationship but the mornings after left Alex feeling guilty and Maggie tiptoeing around her.

Maggie simply shrugged, “It didn’t break us.”

It went unspoken that the true reason for their break up was kids, to which they’d both admitted they have changed perspectives on the topic. Alex figured they would have to talk more about it sooner or later, and while the ‘first date’ may not be the best timing, their opportunities were running low.

She took a deep breath before launching into explanation, “About the kids thing - the other day I told you I wasn’t as eager to have kids. It’s not to say I never want to but… it’s something that I thought was always in my future without considering anything else. In reality, I love how my life is right now - with my job, Kara, my friends… the only thing missing is… Maggie, I really miss you,” Alex said, taking Maggie’s hands and squeezing them, “You are what is missing. There’s never been anyone like you and I’m sure there never will be. If there’s a chance we can fight for us, I’m going to take it.”

Maggie’s eyes stung as she listened to what was essentially a promise of dedication to their relationship. She’d wanted to hear this for a long time. The feeling had only multiplied since she’d been working with Alex.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that,” Maggie said through a smile, “We will fight together and there may be hard times but...like I said to you before, I believe in kissing the girls we want to kiss.”

Maggie tugged on their joined hands to pull Alex closer until their lips met. Maybe it should have been more awkward - their first kiss since their last goodbye - but the familiarity of the action made the months they spent apart almost disappear. They pulled back after a few seconds, slightly flushed. 

Maggie bit her lip, a flicker of hesitancy crossing her face, “We’re not moving too fast?”

“If we had only met a week ago, maybe. But we’ve done this before. We’re just springing back like memory foam.”

Maggie froze. _What? ___

__“You just compared us to memory foam? Really, Danvers?” Maggie questioned with a grin that escalated into laughter at Alex’s unapologetic look._ _

__Alex raised her hands in mock surrender, “If it works, it works!”_ _

__As Maggie’s laughter settled, Alex’s phone rang. She saw the I.D pop up as Lena and figured it would be a quick check-in call as they hadn’t spoken in a while._ _

__“Hi, Lena, what’s up?”_ _

__“...”_ _

__“Lena? Hello?” Alex tried again. The only sounds coming through were shuffling noises, and Alex’s was ready to hang up, thinking it was an accidental call, when Lena’s voice filtered through in a rushed whisper._ _

__“Alex, that alien you guys have been chasing? She’s here. She’s tearing the place apart - I don’t know what she wants,” there was a bang in the background, “She’s angry, Alex, I-”_ _

__The phone line went dead and Alex didn’t waste any time trying to call her back as she stood, grabbing everything she needed on her way to the door. She looked to Maggie who was following suit despite not knowing what was happening._ _

__“We have to go. Lena’s in trouble.”_ _


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Maggie race to Lena. Maggie finds out some uncomfortable news.

Alex and Maggie had made it all the way to Lena’s office without interruption, which would be unusual on a normal day as there would at least be some security around, but the current events in the city meant that many people were locked away in their homes.

Alex had called the D.E.O on the way over, and she knew Kara wouldn’t be far away either. But they had made it there first and were poised outside the office door just as a shout was heard from within.

“Where is it?” It was clearly Oda Zoll’s voice. Lena was right that it was their alien, but Alex wished she wasn’t as she thought back to their previous encounters.

Lena voice was shaky but defiant, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now get out of my building.”

Alex and Maggie shared a worried look. Lena’s bravado could get her into trouble just as fast as it could get her out of it. Oda’s displeasure was voiced.

“I’ve had enough of your lies, human! You’re about to be one of the first of the human race to perish at my hands.” Oda hiss was followed by angry steps and a startled gasp.

“Stop!” Alex demanded as she and Maggie chose that moment to storm the room. Or, storm the room as best they could with only two guns against a forbiddingly powerful alien. The authority in Alex’s voice seemed to do the trick as Oda’s glare shifted away from Lena.

“You again. You never learn.” she snarled.

“Neither do you. What do you want?” Alex asked. A flicker of annoyance crossed Oda’s feature before she masked it with her customary poise.

“You should consider yourself a target, Agent.”

Alex wasn’t about to let her fly away again without at least trying to stop her. She pulled the trigger on her gun a few times, Maggie following her lead as the bullets doubled but seemed to get them nowhere. It was as if the bullets bounced off her skin, leaving no trace that they had ever been fired.

“You can’t kill me with your pathetic bullets! Stop trying to prevent this fate. The prophecy is never wrong.” Oda finished, taking off from Lena’s balcony just a second before agents and military stormed the room.

“Lena,” Alex called as she weaved through the personnel. Lena looked as confident as anything on the outside, her arms crossed and eyes steely. However, Alex knew the crossed arms were a defence mechanism and the steely eyes wouldn’t fade as long as there was company with them.

“Lena,” Alex repeated as she and Maggie got close, “What did she want?”

Lena took a deep breath and Alex pretended she didn’t hear the shakiness as Lena let herself exhale.

“I don’t know… I mean, there are so many prototypes I’ve been working on. It could be anything.”

“Is there anything that could help spread poison?” Maggie asked. She realised how suspicious she sounded a moment later when Alex raised her eyebrows, “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just trying to get information.”

Lena glanced away with a pained smile, “It’s okay. I understand the situation this has put me in. There are some devices that, with modifications, could be used to distribute high levels of gases into the atmosphere. I’ve kept everything as locked away as I can. She won’t get to anything without me knowing.”

Maggie digested the information with a nod. Alex sensed Lena’s growing discomfort as agents continued to poke around the office as if expecting to find something of interest. It was as if they were looking for a clue that would link Lena to Oda’s plans. She made a note to remind her agents about their policy of treating all victims as just that - victims.

“I think you should come back to mine for a bit. While this all passes over. I still have an hour or so until I need to be back at the D.E.O.” Alex suggested.

Lena tried to wave her away with a shake of her head but Alex was already pointing her towards the exit.

Maggie reached for Alex’s hand as they turned to leave and the agent half-turned back.

“Everything alright? I’m sorry we had to cut short earlier and I’m running off now…”

Maggie shook her head, “It’s not that. I was just wondering where your sister was? Wouldn’t she have been here as soon as she heard?”

Alex glanced unconsciously towards the balcony where there was no Kara to be seen. She looked back to Lena a few steps away, with a look of conflict on her face. Maggie sensed the internal debate in Alex’s head and decided to take some of the decision away from her.

“Hey, if you want, I’ll find Kara. I’ll let you know if you’re needed,” Maggie saw Alex’s uncertainty fade but not disappear completely, “I promise I’ll let you know. You can’t be everywhere, Kara will understand.”

“Thank you, you know I,” the words I love you were on the tip of her tongue but Alex knew those words held too much risk to speak aloud just yet, “I really appreciate this. See you in a bit?”

Maggie matched Alex’s smile and nodded, watching her walk towards Lena and lead her away. It was disappointing that they didn’t quite get the full half day off as J’onn had ordered but in reality, the sooner they dealt with the alien in question, the sooner they had even more time for themselves to work with.

Maggie sighed as she shuffled out onto the balcony and squinted at the sky. It was dull, and she could imagine the state of some of the streets below as Oda injected fear into those that had turned violent in the hope that their lives would be spared. It was getting more and more difficult to control the spontaneous outbreaks of violence and Maggie had to refrain from thinking too much about the lives that had already been lost.

She had to find Kara.

XXXXXXX

Lena placed her empty glass on the table before she began speaking.

“Before I called you, she said some things that got to me. She knows about my family and the Luthor name. And the people searching my office as if I’ve done wrong? It’s still disturbing to think that there could be the capability within me to commit such awful crimes.”

“That’s not true, Lena. Deep down, you know that.” Alex reassured.

“It doesn’t seem to matter what I think,” Lena said. She briefly closed her eyes before steering the conversation elsewhere, “Tell me what’s happening with you and Maggie.”

Alex felt the heat creeping to her cheeks even as she fixed Lena with a stern look, “We will come back to this, you need to talk about it at some point. But as you’re asking, or demanding, I can tell you that Maggie and I are good. We talked a bit, we kissed…”

Lena smirked, “It doesn’t take you two long. Come on, tell me everything.”

Alex, happy to take her friend’s mind off her self-doubt for a while, launched into the details of her and Maggie’s revived relationship.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Maggie had arrived at the D.E.O in search of Kara.

“Hey Miller!” she called the attention of the agent who looked up from the screen he was overseeing.

“Detective, how can I help you?” he asked as he stood from his seat.

“I’m looking for Supergirl. You seen her?”

Agent Miller nodded, “Yes, the Director informed me that she’s recuperating by the sun lamps. I can take you there if you want?”

Maggie frowned, “Wait, was she hurt?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Come to think of it, I figured she was just patrolling the city this morning.”

“That’s strange,” Maggie commented, “I’ll make my own way there. Thanks, Miller.”

She walked through the D.E.O until the door that led to the sun lamps came into sight. She pushed it and slipped inside.

Agent Miller wasn’t wrong.

Kara was getting up from the sun lamps as Maggie entered and her eyes widened in panic as she realised she’d been caught.

“Maggie…”

“What happened? Are you okay? Should I call Alex?” Maggie was quick to express her concern and was surprised to see Kara wave it away.

“I’m good. Just needed some extra help recovering.” Kara’s reply gave nothing away and that was enough that Maggie sensed something wasn’t right.

She decided to test her theory, “You don’t use the lamps unless you’re really struggling. What’s really going on, Kara?”

Kara looked ready to lie and dodge the question again so Maggie added, “The truth, please. If it doesn’t come from you, I’ll find out myself. I have my ways.”

Kara rolled her eyes to the ceiling in defeat, “It’s the poison. There’s something in it that weakens me. Most likely Kryptonite. When I’m patrolling the city and get near it… I just use the sun lamps so I can keep being Supergirl at a time when Supergirl is what everyone needs.”

Maggie placed her hands on her hips and shot Kara a knowing look as she spoke, “You can’t do it all. Something like this isn’t a job for Supergirl alone. I know you’re the symbol of hope and all that but it can’t be at the expense of your health. Does Alex know any of this?”

Kara looked down guiltily before trying to defend her case, “No, but she’s been so busy! I can’t distract her with this, I can manage this. I’ll tell her if it gets worse. Please, Maggie, I promise.”

Maggie knew Kara meant well, she did. However, Alex was fiercely protective of her sister and not knowing this would crush her more than not being able to save Earth. She had to be the bearer of bad news here.

“You need to tell her, Kara. The longer you leave it, the more guilty she’ll feel when she eventually finds out. You know that,” Maggie sighed, “I’m sorry, Kara, if you don’t tell her then I will.”


	14. Chapter 14

It had just passed midday when Alex arrived at the D.E.O, meeting everyone else at the table that was littered with pictures. Lucy caught her eye as she joined the group.

“Danvers, you’re just in time,” Lucy announced, “We’re collecting pictures of all the aliens we know have been seen helping Oda or her cause. We know there’s a lot more out there but this is a start. Memorise as many as you can.”

Alex nodded as she took in the faces of the aliens that had been infused with so much fear that they couldn’t see any other way out than to join Oda. They just didn’t know that her ultimate goal would leave them in the same state as the rest of world.

J’onn voiced her thoughts, “These people are acting as catalysts. If we can stop anyone else from straying then not only do we get more time to stop Oda but the collateral damage will also be minimized.”

“How do we stop more people thinking that joining her is the answer?” Maggie asked.

It was their main dilemma. They couldn’t reach everyone in the city and they certainly couldn’t spread the message worldwide. The D.E.O didn’t have enough agents, even with the military support, to monitor every situation as it unfolded. They needed to find a way to prevent the mess before it became a catastrophe.

“I have an idea.”

It was Kara who broke the brief pause and her statement captured the attention of the group.

“We can use CatCo to send a message. It would reach most people and if we put a trusted face out there, it could really make a difference.” Kara suggested.

“You think you should send this message as Supergirl?”

Kara shook her head at Maggie’s question, “Not just me. While it would be good to see an alien who hasn’t joined Oda, they’ve seen me say it all before. We need someone who is trusted and linked to CatCo to lead this one.”

Alex, who had been nodding along in agreement, stopped and shook her head in disappointment.

“I’m sorry, Kara, I don’t think Lena would be the right person for this. She’s probably not up for it after Oda’s visit to her office anyway. Speaking of, where were-”

“-I wasn’t thinking of Lena,” Kara interrupted, ignoring Maggie’s warning glare, “She’s still not completely trusted by the public, even with all of her efforts. I was thinking of someone else - straight-talking, witty, kinda rude but still honest, powerful, intelligent, demanding...no one is getting anything from these adjectives?”

She raised her eyebrows at the blank faces staring back at her.

“Seriously, no one?” Kara sighed, “We need Cat Grant.”

A chorus of responses were heard from the group, varying from scoffs of disbelief to questions of ‘who?’ and ‘why?’. Kara raised her hands in defense.

“It’s worked before. That woman has a scarily good way with words!”

“It’s not just that, Kara. Cat Grant is currently working at the White House, why would she leave that?” J’onn said.

“We could just get her to record a message and then we can broadcast it on a loop.” Alex suggested.

Lucy nodded in agreement, “Cat loves a slice of the media. She would go for this. Let’s get that set up as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I’m putting more military on the streets and I think that the D.E.O should do the same.”

J’onn crossed his arms, wearing the frown he wore when he wasn’t keen on an idea.

“I don’t believe sending my agents into the unknown is the best course of action. No offense to Detective Sawyer or the NCPD, but we aren't the police and we don’t control riots. We deal with the aliens.”

Lucy placed her hands on the table and leant forwards slightly, thinking over how she was going to phrase herself. With two aliens in the room, she couldn’t make the mistake of calling them out.

“Look, I understand, I do. But the fact is that the main threat that we can deal with are the aliens who think that needless violence is the answer. Stopping them can reduce casualties, deaths, copycat crimes…”

“I know the logistics of it, Lane. But it’s very dangerous without a proper plan. I can’t make the decision for my agents, they’ll have to make it themselves,” J’onn said, “You send in your military and I will back that up with any agents who volunteer to do street patrol.”

Lucy still looked doubtful so Alex stepped in, “I’ll be out there and I know a few agents who will join me.”

“Well, it looks like the decision isn’t debatable so I’m going to send my people out there and start getting things done. Feel free to join me when you’re ready.”

Lucy marched away, already pulling out her phone to make the orders.

Alex grimaced, “I should head out there now to avoid putting her in an even worse mood.”

As Alex followed Lucy’s steps, Maggie gave Kara a pointed look with a raised eyebrow. Kara urgently shook her head in response. The eyebrow only raised further.

“No, Maggie. Not now,” Kara whispered, fiercely. J’onn still had his arms crossed and grunted from beside them, reminding them of his presence.

“Is this about the poison?” At their silence he continued, “I warned you, Kara, if Alex isn’t told by you soon, the consequences will be far worse than I think you realise.”

Maggie smacked a smug grin on her face, “I knew someone else would see sense,” she dropped the grin as refocused on Kara, “Clocks ticking. If you don’t tell her soon…”

“Okay, okay,” Kara said as she nodded resignedly, “I’ll tell her. I’ll tell her tonight.”

XXXXXXX

“Kara?” Alex called as she let herself into the apartment later that day, “You home?”

She shrugged out of her coat, hanging it up before chucking her keys on the table. She slid into one of the seats near the kitchen counter before she called for Kara again.

This time, Kara appeared from her room, with a distracted look in her eye that Alex picked up on straight away.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m here, I was just… psyching myself up for this, I guess.” Kara mumbled. Alex’s suspicions grew.

“Psyching yourself up for what?”

Kara feigned ignorance and sputtered, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Alex hummed, unconvinced, “Your text was really weird. Something’s up with you. Spill.”

“That text message was completely normal!” Kara argued.

Alex raised an eyebrow, pulling out her phone and opening Kara’s message, holding it up in Kara’s line of sight.

“You know what I don’t see there? Demands for food. You _always _want me to bring food,” Alex put her phone back down, “So sit, and tell me what’s on your mind.”__

__Kara took her place opposite Alex, “So how’s your patrol going?”_ _

__“Kara.”_ _

__Kara met Alex’s no-nonsense expression and sighed._ _

__“I haven’t been open with you about how the poison has been affecting me,” Kara rushed out, “I’ve been having to use the sun lamps to recover whenever I’ve come across it.”_ _

__Alex frowned, “Since when?”_ _

__Kara grimaced, “A few days now. I haven’t told you until now because this whole thing has been so crazy and tiring.”_ _

__“This isn’t anything we’ve not dealt with before.” Alex reasoned._ _

__“But it is, though, isn’t it? She’s already destroyed other planets and there’s already been deaths here. You’ve been working extra hours to monitor every corner of the city! I couldn’t… I didn’t want to put more stress on you.”_ _

__“Kara, you couldn’t,” Alex said, wanting to immediately dispel Kara’s worries, “It worries me more that you felt that you couldn’t tell me just because work was a little busier than usual. Did anyone else know at least?”_ _

__“J’onn did… and Maggie found out when she came to find me after Lena was targeted.”_ _

__“Oh.”_ _

__To say Alex felt a little hurt was a fair statement. Maggie rarely withheld information from her, especially about her own sister, and when she did it was only trivial things such as her birthday present. She must have paused for too long as Kara was talking again before she could form another sentence._ _

__“She was the one who told me to tell you so don’t be mad at her or anything. You look a bit… upset.”_ _

__Alex straightened in her seat, swallowing back her insecurities about Maggie, “No, I’m just concerned about you. I don’t want you anywhere near that stuff if it hurts you. There are other ways Supergirl can help.”_ _

__Kara glanced over Alex’s shoulder at the window, guiltily, “I was hoping I could carry on and use the sun lamps.”_ _

__“No. It’s not happening. I don’t want to sound controlling of your choices but, as your sister, I’m not going to stand by and let you put your health at risk when there isn’t even a plan in place to stop Oda,” Alex said. She stood and moved around the counter to wrap her arms around Kara’s shoulders, “Thank you for telling me.”_ _

__Kara leaned into the hug, “Sorry I didn’t tell you straight away.”_ _

__Alex shook her head, “It’s okay.”_ _

__She pulled back from their embrace a moment later, hands on hips, “Now. Food?”_ _

__Unsurprisingly, Kara’s face lit up, “You don’t have to ask me twice.”_ _

__Alex scoffed, “I barely have to ask you once,” she put her hand on Kara’s shoulder as she began to stand, “No, I’m going out to get this one. Delivery will take too long and I don’t want you running into anything poisonous. I won’t be long.”_ _

__Kara reluctantly allowed Alex to pick up the food and Alex left the apartment in pursuit of their meal. It was only a short walk to the nearest place, but it was enough time for Alex to think about Kara’s revelation in more depth._ _

__She knew she’d always been a workaholic, and that had only grown after her and Maggie’s breakup, which had left Kara without someone to confide in for a few weeks. More recently, Alex thought her relationship with Kara had been as normal, but clearly the thought was one-sided after learning that at least two others had known about Kara using the sun lamps before she did._ _

__Alex sighed, shoving her hands deeper into her pockets as the takeout came into sight. If she wasn’t a good enough sister to Kara, how could she be good enough for Maggie? A second time around, no less._ _

__Tomorrow, she would deal with everything. She would make sure Kara felt confident that she could talk to her, whatever the situation. Then, she would talk to Maggie about their relationship properly, and hope that Maggie not telling her was for Kara’s benefit and not to Alex’s disadvantage. She needed to know that they could trust each other and this was a one off. After tomorrow, they could all just focus on stopping Oda’s fulfilment of the prophecy._ _

__Little did Alex know, tomorrow had its own plans. And they were going to be much, much worse._ _


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the new couple of tags if you want a warning for this chapter which deals with a theme that some readers may be less comfortable with. It is a slight spoiler but I wouldn't want to cause unnecessary discomfort.

“Hi there, I’m Agent Danvers and this is Agent Miller. You’re aware that this is a particularly high risk area for violence at this time?”

Alex addressed the woman behind the food cart as she and Miller patrolled the city as per Lucy’s requests. With the surge in violent crime and risks of poisoning in key areas, there hadn’t been as many people around as usual.

The woman glanced up at Alex, “I’m very aware. It’s all over the news - this new alien? It doesn’t seem like anything Supergirl hasn’t dealt with before.”

“Your faith in Supergirl is warranted but we have to strongly advise you against continuing your business here until things have settled.” Miller said. The woman sighed, crossing her arms.

“I mean you both no disrespect, but I have grown up on these streets and I’ve seen darker things than aliens steal lives away from us. People around here don’t hide away in fear. It’s my choice to be out here serving my refreshments just as it is yours to be out here protecting us.”

Alex shared a look with Miller and shrugged. She had a point and they couldn’t force everyone into their homes. Fear was half of the problem, after all.

“Alright Miller, I think we’ve earned ourselves some coffee,” Alex said, “How do you like it?”

“Tea. I like tea.” Miller replied, stepping forwards to relay his order to the woman behind the cart.

“Well, aren’t you full of surprises. I thought I knew everything about you lot,” Alex mused and ordered her coffee.

Miller chuckled, “This kind of thing isn’t usual on our file, Agent Danvers.”

Alex gave him a look, “I’m much more insightful than that, I’ll have you know. I might surprise you one day.”

They payed for their drinks and continued on their patrol. Alex couldn’t shake what the woman from the cart had said to them.

“Miller, you aren’t out here because of your obligation to me, are you? You don’t feel obligated because of me?” she asked.

Miller frowned, “No, why would you ask that?”

Alex shrugged, “I’m out here because I’m aware of the dangers of patrolling without the full picture. Just because I pick you for my first team doesn’t mean you owe me to come out here. Not when the Director isn’t making it an order.”

“I know the risks. It’s what I signed up for when I became an agent,” Miller said, “If anything were to happen, it wouldn’t be on you. Just as if anything were to happen to you, it wouldn’t be the Director’s fault. But, I shouldn’t be worried when I’m partnered with you, should I?”

Alex grinned and shook her head, “Nah, You’re safe with me.”

As they turned the next corner, Alex saw a scuffle breaking out down the street. She dumped her coffee - she’d barely had _two sips_ \- drawing a confused look from Miller.

“Down there, on the left,” she gestured at the group whose voices were growing louder and echoing around the otherwise empty and quiet street, “Stay alert.”

“Should we call the NCPD? We don’t have jurisdiction to make arrests.” Miller said. Alex paused, Miller was right, if they got involved, they could only control any alien threat.

“I’ll call Lucy to get us back-up if it’s needed. Let’s just try to diffuse this nicely.”

Their hands rested on their belts where the non-lethal guns were holstered as they made their way towards the group.

“Hey!” Alex shouted, “Calm down! I don’t want to have to use this today.”

She managed to get the attention of the group but only some of them retreated at the sight of the agents. The others weren’t so fazed by the uniforms and guns as they held their own weapons. Alex counted seven to their two.

“May I ask what the problem is here?” Miller said. One of them scoffed and waved his arm towards two others that Alex could now see were alien.

“I won’t sit here and let aliens ruin my life! They’re the source of all the problems ‘round here and I’m not having it! My friends have been poisoned!” he bellowed. His behaviour was doing nothing to ease Alex’s worries about needing the NCPD to help make arrests. Her hand reached to pull out her phone as Miller tried to diffuse the situation.

“We all have a common enemy here, and that’s the Zoll alien who has been poisoning your friends. Now, if you could just-”

The man had already made his decision before Miller finished his sentence. Alex swore as he launched himself and his weapon at the aliens, causing both parties to react.

“Lane, we need NCPD to make arrests here, as soon as you can.” Alex spoke quickly before joining Miller in regaining control of the situation. Both sides were becoming violent and would need to be detained until further notice. All she and Miller could do was damage control until the police got there.

They didn’t have to wait too long as two officers came in between the group and, with the help of Miller, were able to arrest one of them. There were still four people in a heated argument and Alex was ready to call for more help when she heard another car door slam. She turned to see Maggie and a couple of other officers come from another car.

“Need a hand here, Danvers?” Maggie quipped as she approached, handcuffs at the ready. Alex rolled her eyes but had to bite back a grin.

“Just following protocol, Sawyer.”

She glanced up as a shout was heard and she saw one of the aliens sprinting away. Miller gave her a raised eyebrow for permission.

“Go! I’m right behind you!” Alex called and she heard the quick patter of Miller’s footsteps as he tracked their target, “Sawyer, you got this?”

Maggie nodded as she clicked on a pair of handcuffs and Alex took off in the direction Miller had gone. They had disappeared around the corner and Alex heard the pop of a gunshot as she rounded it. _Miller, you better not be dead right now_ , Alex hoped and cursed at the same time.

Two figures came into sight. Their target on the ground and Miller holstering his weapon. Alex felt herself relax as she came to a stop beside them.

“That was close,” Alex said as she bent and pressed her palms into her knees to recover. Miller was much the same as he held his hands at his hips and puffed out laughter into the air.

“Too close for me.”

Alex raised her head to look at Miller. It was at that moment that she saw her.

“No,” Alex gasped before raising her voice, “Miller, move!”

It was too late. Alex could only launch herself two steps forward, and in that time Oda Zoll had latched herself onto Miller, her nails disappearing into his skin. Alex uselessly drew her gun, pointing it at the tangled duo in front of her.

“Let him go.” she demanded, voice loud but shaky as she saw the fear in Miller’s face. It was a pure contrast to the evil pleasure in Oda’s smile.

“As you wish,” Oda let Miller fall to the ground without fuss, “I warned you so many, many times. Now look where we are. It’s all your fault.”

The next thing Alex knew was that her gun had vanished from her hands and Oda was stood nose to nose with her. _This is it, this is how it all ends for me_ , Alex thought as she closed her eyes and waited for the same pain attacking Miller to hit her. It never came.

Instead, she felt Oda’s breath tap her face as she spoke, “You’re next.”

She flinched as Oda shoved her away and retreated to the skies, leaving her stunned for a second before she burst into action.

Her knees pressed uncomfortably into the ground, but Alex paid no mind to that as she checked Miller’s pulse and temperature, rolling him onto his side.

“No… the poison…” Miller mumbled through gritted teeth. Alex shook her head.

“We didn’t get infected when Harris was poisoned at the D.E.O,” she said, “It only seems to affect Supergirl without direct contact but that doesn’t matter… none of that matters…”

Alex counted the entry wounds she could see. Six. But she was certain that she saw each of Oda’s nails poisoning Miller’s bloodstream so there were at least another four she couldn’t see. Harris had only one wound so Miller had ten times less chance of surviving.

“Not good, not good…”

“I think I’m okay. I’m okay.” Miller said but his voice was almost drowned out by his own wheezing as the effects began to set in. His body was reacting to the shock of the poison in his system and there was nothing Alex could do to stop it.

“Miller, I’m going to get you better,” Alex vowed, knowing she had no right to make that promise. She heard several footsteps approaching, as well as vehicles and sirens in the distance. She wondered how long it had been and had no idea who had called it in.

She was given a fair idea a moment later when she heard J’onn’s voice.

“Supergirl, stay back,” J’onn ordered, “There’s too much poison here.”

Alex was joined by two of the medical team who gently nudged her out of the way. They loaded him onto the stretcher and were keen to get him to the D.E.O as quickly as possible. She walked alongside them as they transported Miller towards the medic van and felt a nudge on her arm. It was Miller.

“My choice… not your fault…”

Alex’s steps faltered. This had her fault written all over it.

“Alex,” It was Maggie, “Are you alright?”

Alex focused on the stretcher being loaded into the medic van.

“Alex.” Maggie tried again.

The slamming of the D.E.O medic van’s doors knocked Alex back to the present. She glanced at Maggie before shrugging off the hand on her shoulder with a small shake of her head.

“I need to make sure he’s okay.”

She took off towards her car, relieved that it was so close as they had circled back to where they began their patrol. Even with the medic van on a minute’s advantage, Alex had caught up. The sensible, protocol-driven side of her knew she wasn’t entirely fit to drive as her hands hugged the steering wheel tightly in an effort to stop shaking.

But this Alex didn’t care for that because Miller was dying, and it was all her fault.

They were two minutes from the D.E.O when it happened.

The sirens stopped.

“No, no, this isn’t right,” Alex muttered. If the sirens had stopped, that meant there was no emergency on board.

She carried on following for another minute, just in case, maybe there was a mistake?

Another minute passed. No change.

Miller was gone.

She rolled the car to a stop, her hands falling away from the wheel.

_Miller was gone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I hope you guys in the US enjoy the new Supergirl tomorrow!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple of confrontations and Alex is on a downwards spiral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for alcohol use as an unhealthy habit.

“Due to the current circumstances out there, funerals aren’t being held and will be arranged as soon as possible. It’s been a particularly difficult week for all of us with the tragic death of one of our own…”

Alex let herself block out the rest of J’onn’s speech to the D.E.O. She understood why they couldn’t have Miller’s funeral right away but it felt like a final twist of the knife that they couldn’t yet give him an honourable send off.

It had been another five days with the current Oda Zoll invasion taking place, another five days of fatigue as they were all running low on ideas as Oda only grew stronger. There had been more deaths around the city, some now stretching outside of it, and there was a niggling voice in Alex’s head that said this fight was out of their reach.

Then again, the voice in Alex’s head was the only one she’d been talking to over the last five days. Everyone else got automated responses as she carried out her duties.

She’d been there in some way but, at the same time, not at all.

Her focus snapped back to the present as J’onn’s boots interrupted her glaring at the ground. Looking up, she met the director’s gaze while also noting Lucy standing off to his left and Kara watching the trio with wary eyes from afar. 

“Sir?” Alex mumbled. She heard Lucy sigh through her nose - impatience or sympathy, probably both, but she couldn’t quite tell.

“Brainy has been working on some tech to help us combat the poison. We’re having a debrief about it in two hours.” J’onn informed.

“Brainy’s managed to use the gear the D.E.O currently has to add sensors linked to Oda’s poison. He’s working on getting a filter to weaken the effect of the poison.” Lucy added.

Alex knew it was good news but couldn’t help but feel bitter as it was too little too late for one of their agents.

“That’s fantastic.” she said, too chipper to be genuine and judging by J’onn and Lucy’s faces, they picked up on it.

“Agent Danvers.”

The voice made Alex’s head snap to the left as she saw Agent Harris stalking towards her. She knew he had been close to Miller and had been lashing out at everyone since his death but Alex herself had yet to get a dose of it. There would be no use trying to put it off any longer. She could at least try to soften the blow.

“Harris-”

“Don’t. You’re listening to me.”

Or maybe she couldn’t.

“It’s your fault that Miller is gone! I want to know why you’re here and he isn’t. Tell me how that’s fair.”

“Agent Harris, you can’t blame Alex. You know she would have done everything in her power to prevent Miller’s death. She’s saved your life so many times before.” Lucy insisted.

Harris wasn’t having any of it as he scoffed, “Yeah, well, she couldn’t save his.”

Alex lowered her head. He wasn’t wrong.

By this point, the majority of the people around had turned their attention to the source of the outburst, as Harris continued to rant.

“A lot of us are aware that the Zoll alien has some personal conflict with you, Danvers, and that only tells me one thing. That is was supposed to be you. Not my best friend. Not Miller.” he spoke as his face trembled with the effort to keep from breaking. Vasquez stepped forward, taking the initiative that enough was enough now, leading Harris away.

Lucy clapped her hands to break through the silence in the room, “Alright people, nothing to see here. We have work to do.”

Alex clenched her jaw. She walked away, drawing glances from her colleagues as she did so, but she only had one destination in mind.

XXXXXXX

Alex’s heart sank as she spotted Maggie was waiting by her apartment door. Right at this moment, she only had one thing in mind and she didn’t want Maggie to be around to see it.

Maggie didn’t say anything as she let Alex unlock the door and push it open, letting it fall shut without another thought. She tracked Alex’s movements as the agent dumped her things before disappearing into the bathroom. She took a seat on the couch while she waited for Alex to emerge, which she did a couple of minutes later.

“I heard about what happened at the D.E.O,” Maggie started, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Alex briefly locked eyes with Maggie and sat at the opposite end of the couch, before fixing her eyes on the window. The light from outside was barely making a difference to the gloomy atmosphere that had been cast across the room.

Alex turned her head to look at the space on the floor between them and spoke, “Harris was close with Agent Miller so it’s understandable that he feels some anger towards me. Everyone has their ways of coping,” she paused, “I don’t think you should be here right now,” _I don’t want you to see me like this_ , “I mean, I’m just going to do some paperwork so…” _You can’t be here for what I want to do._

It was as if Maggie could sense the underlying meanings to Alex’s words as she refused to move from her seat.

“What happened to you, seeing that happen to Miller… you don’t have to pretend it’s okay.” Maggie said, cautiously, “I don’t want you to do anything you might regret.”

A pause.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Kara?”

The question spilled out so quickly that even Alex herself was caught off guard, not to mention the shock and confusion that now occupied Maggie’s face. It was Alex’s desperate attempt to steer their conversation elsewhere - anywhere away from the direction it was going in.

“The sun lamps? It wasn’t really my place to tell you, although I was going to if Kara left it too long,” Maggie responded, “I couldn’t lie to you. I knew you would want to know but I didn’t want to step on Kara’s toes.”

Alex bit her lip, “I feel like… you should have told me.”

Maggie frowned, edging forwards in her seat, “I wouldn’t have left it any longer than Kara did.”

“But you need to tell me these things right away so I can _do_ something about it and-and help…”

“Okay,” Maggie relented, “Okay, but not everything is in your control-”

“-when it concerns the health of my sister, it should be.” Alex argued.

“It isn’t my place to make that judgement.”

“Yeah, okay. Whatever.”

Now, Maggie stood, not liking the indifference in Alex’s tone, hands immediately going to her hips and Alex knew she was in for trouble.

“Yeah, ok- Alex, are you kidding me? All I am trying to be is here for you but you’re acting like all I am is another inconvenience for you to deal with. I understand you are grieving, I understand you feel guilty and I _understand_ that you like pushing people away when everything is going against you but I’m not here as and when you feel like it. That’s not fair. This is a relationship we both need to work for. I’m sorry you’ve been alone for a while, Alex, but it’s about time you got used to having someone here for you again.”

Maggie let her words settle for a moment before realising she wouldn’t get an answer today.

“I’m leaving,” she muttered softly, “Not you, not us. I’m coming back, I just think you need some time alone.”

Alex nodded minutely, aware that Maggie probably wouldn’t have seen it as she had already began walking away. She continued to stare absently at the empty space that Maggie vacated, flinching when the slam of the door signalled Maggie’s departure.

The room seemed to get even darker and feel even smaller. Alex rose from her seat and shuffled to the cupboard, reaching in for the drink and the glass she wanted. It wasn’t something she was proud to do, especially not with Maggie back in her life. These were stressful and unfortunate circumstances, and this was a proven method to help cope with them, just not healthiest one.

Alex let the glass clink onto the counter-top and poured her first drink.


	17. Chapter 17

“Alex, put it down.”

Alex startled as she heard the voice through the tipsy haze that was her mind. She twisted her neck to see who the voice belonged to and let out a small giggle as the room shook a little. Okay, maybe tipsy was a flexible term and drunk would more accurately describe her current state.

Still confused, she felt the couch dip behind her and twisted back the other way in her search for the mystery owner of the voice, who spoke again.

“It’s me again. I shouldn’t have left you when you’re feeling like this.”

Oh.

_Maggie._

“Maggie.”

Alex could see her clearer now, she was wearing her usual leather jacket, grey t-shirt and black jeans. Same old Maggie Sawyer.

“What are you calling me now? Old?” Maggie asked and Alex blushed as she realised she began speaking aloud.

“I wasn’t nice earlier,” Alex said abruptly, “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I didn’t want you to see any of this.”

“This isn’t new to me,” Maggie reasoned, trying to avoid making Alex feel even worse, “You don’t have to hide away the darker parts of you because I’ve seen them all. I’m here to help you with drinking, sleeping, all the things you’ve had a hard time with. Just like you’ve helped me with my struggles.”

Alex nodded through watery eyes and leaned towards Maggie, who opened her arms to let Alex settle into her side. They stayed like that for a while before Alex mumbled something unintelligible and Maggie had to shift slightly so she could better hear what Alex was saying.

“What was that?”

Alex’s eyes sparkled with something so calm and peaceful that Maggie could almost forget that awful things were happening and believe that Alex wasn’t spiralling. Alex was usually in a darker mood when she was drinking, throwing spiteful comments much like she had been earlier on in the day. This was different, and a nice sentiment, but Maggie knew that the harsh reality was never far away.

Alex lifted her head, “You’re my…” she trailed off, looking dazedly into Maggie’s eyes.

“I’m your what?”

“My first true love. My only,” Alex murmured, “Let me…not mess that up.”

Maggie wore a sad smile, bringing her left arm across to grab Alex’s hand.

“You won’t,” she promised, “Now, I do think we should get some water in you. Food, too, for that matter.”

Alex tensed, “No, no, I don’t want to be clear-headed enough to think about…stuff.”

Maggie sighed, “I think deep down you still are.”

“Well,” Alex huffed, uselessly, “Now I am.”

She detangled herself from Maggie and ran a hand through her hair as she took in her surroundings with a slightly more lucid mind. She could tell it was later than she thought it was by the darker blue that encompassed the mass of the sky, and the apartment was barely lit. A thought suddenly struck her.

“I missed the debrief,” she said, “J’onn is going to kill me. I just walked out of work like, you know, I’m _not_ getting paid. I can’t just do that.”

Sensing that if she didn’t say something soon Alex was going to do something impulsive like driving back to the D.E.O in her state, Maggie was quick to extinguish her concerns.

“I was there. I can tell you everything you need to know when you’re sober. J’onn understands that you needed some time away.”

Alex watched her for any sign of a lie before nodding slowly and accepting that she wasn’t able to do anything about it now anyway. She tracked Maggie as the detective moved across to the kitchen to pour Alex some water. She returned, pressing it into Alex’s hands and gently encouraging her to drink some.

“Lucy mentioned to me that you should have someone with you at all times because of Oda’s personal threat to you.”

Alex rolled her eyes, “Of course. I can’t wait for an agent less experienced than me to be breathing down my neck at all times.”

“That’s why I insisted that it will be me, Kara, or even Lucy herself unless we are all busy. I knew you would end up scaring away the agents.” Maggie said. Alex smiled appreciatively.

“I’ll try not to scare you away, too.”

XXXXXXX

Alex sensed she was alone before she’d even opened her eyes. Opening them only confirmed that she was alone in the bed and anxiety gripped her, fearing that Maggie had left her for good this time. Before her thoughts could swirl too far out of control, Alex heard the TV start to murmur and the sound of someone flopping onto the couch.

She rolled out of the bed, noting that she was dressed decently enough in case it wasn’t Maggie in the room, and walked to the doorway. Maggie was sat on the couch with her feet propped up on the table and turned her head as she noticed movement in her peripheral. She smiled as she saw Alex and got a hesitant one in return.

“How you feeling?” Maggie asked.

“Oh, you know, not my finest hour.” Alex shrugged as she walked further into the space. Maggie inclined her head to the TV.

“Cat Grant is on the TV. Looks like they got the message set up to try and calm everyone down.”

Alex looked to the TV to see Cat addressing the camera.

“ _Hopefully_ it will calm everyone down,” Alex dropped onto the couch next to Maggie, “It will make our jobs much easier.”

Maggie glanced warily at Alex, “About that. J’onn called me. He was thinking you should stay away from work for a bit…”

Alex was shaking her head already, “Maggie, no.”

“He doesn’t know about last night, I wouldn’t tell him without your permission, but he does know that you’re not in the best frame of mind right now and you could use some time-”

“-which we don’t have!” Alex snapped before sighing, “I’m sorry, I just need to be working. If I’m sitting here, doing nothing, overthinking how useless I am, what do you think is going to happen?”

She would soon find herself looking inside another empty bottle, that’s what would happen. Maggie didn’t press anymore, instead shuffled closer to Alex and tilted her head to meet Alex’s eyes.

“You know I’m with you all the way, right? Whatever decisions you make, right or wrong, I’m by your side because…I _love_ you. You know that, right?”

Alex briefly broke eye contact as her doubts threatened to overwhelm the truth in Maggie’s words, but she quickly pushed it all away and met Maggie’s eyes once more.

“I love you too. And I know you’ll stick with me when I’m an idiot.” Alex smiled guiltily.

“You better keep reminding yourself, even if I can’t be here in person. And you’re not an idiot, you’re fighting something that can trip you up very easily. You’re so brave.”

“You’re so amazing.” Alex replied against the rising blush in her face. Before Maggie could make it even worse, there was a knock at the door. Seeing Alex open her mouth to shout, Maggie stepped in.

“I locked your damn door, Danvers. Safety first and all that. Anyone could walk through that door.”

Alex groaned and rolled her eyes as she stood, “Your detective is showing.”

“You should be just as cautious!” Maggie called as Alex reached the door, opening it to reveal Lena on the other side.

“Hi, come in,” Alex said, “I wasn’t expecting you to stop by.”

Lena didn’t make any move to enter. Alex noticed she hadn’t greeted her with her usual smile and warmth, but instead was wearing a worried frown as she glanced uneasily down the corridor.

“Lena?” Alex tried again, “Come inside.”

She pulled the CEO towards her so she could shut the door from any prying ears and eyes that Lena seemed to be wary of. The sound of the door closing drew Maggie’s attention.

“Oh, hey, Luthor.” Maggie greeted, casually before realising that something wasn’t right by Alex’s troubled expression as she watched Lena who still hadn’t spoken. She joined the two others standing near the kitchen counter as Alex pressed Lena for some kind of communication again. This time, Lena met Alex’s gaze with wide eyes that screamed apology.

“The machine that Oda Zoll tried to take the other day is gone,” she began, “With a few changes...she can spread the poison into the atmosphere. We need to find it before that happens because once it does..."

"What?" Alex urged.

"There will be no way to stop it.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another twist to the plot as a familiar name seems to be making her return.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Maggie asked Alex for precisely the fifth time since they had started to get ready to head into the D.E.O. They were currently in the bedroom while a stressed Lena waited for them to change into more suitable clothes.

“I don’t have much choice here, Mags,” Alex replied with a small chuckle before glancing up to see Maggie giving her a serious look, “Really, I’ll be fine. I just had a moment - a really bad one - but I’m good for now.”

Maggie still didn’t look convinced and Alex dropped the jacket she was holding to take Maggie’s hands and pull her closer. Their bodies were pressed together, faces almost touching as Alex lowered her voice to a soft whisper.

“If it’s going to be on your mind too much then I will stay but...I can do this. I’ll say if it gets too much, okay?” Alex assured, “Let’s just quickly save the world and then we can pick up where we left off.”

That got a small smile out of Maggie and she glanced down, thinking.

She finally looked back up and nodded, “Okay. I said I’m with you all the way and that’s not going to change now.”

Alex smiled, “Thank you.”

“But I’m not leaving your side. I’m not saying I don’t believe you but I would just feel so much better if we were together in this.” Maggie said.

“Okay,” Alex nodded, “Me and you, side by side? They don’t stand a chance.”

They finished getting ready before rejoining Lena in the main room. She looked up from her phone as they approached.

“Eve just sent me a message to say the CCTV has come up with nothing,” Lena hesitated, glancing at her phone, “I want to trust her but she’s one of the few people who had authorisation to get anywhere near the machine. I’ll have to check for myself.”

Alex sent Lena a sympathetic smile, “I know it’s hard not to trust her but it’s safer to check for yourself. If she didn’t have anything to do with it, she won’t mind, okay?”

Lena still held uncertainty in her eyes but nodded nonetheless.

Maggie looked between the two, “We should get going to the D.E.O. I’ll drive us.”

Lena waved a hand, “That’s not necessary, I’ve already imposed enough. I’ll have my driver-”

“Lena,” Maggie gently interrupted, “I’ll drive us _all_. You came to us because you _definitely_ had a reason to, and we’re going to help. You’re not imposing. Come on, let’s fix this before it gets beyond our control.”

Lena looked to Alex who gave a reassuring smile, before following Maggie’s lead out of the door.

XXXXXXX

“There’s a short list of people it could have been,” Lena explained to the group surrounding the D.E.O table, “All people I had complete trust in.”

They had been discussing the recent events for some time now, the news bringing the group’s morale down a bit more at the prospect of more lost time.

J’onn nodded grimly, “I understand this can’t be easy, but until everyone on that list has been cleared, you have to be wary.”

Lena sighed but nodded. Alex gave her arm a reassuring squeeze to try to remind her of their earlier conversation. The younger woman smiled appreciatively and stood a little straighter, which was enough for Alex to be satisfied as she turned her attention back to the conversation in hand. Lucy was trying to put a plan into action.

“Let’s just break down what we’re dealing with here - we have the violence, Oda and the poison, and now this missing machine. I’ll keep my people on the streets controlling the fights. That way the D.E.O can focus on the science and aliens so things get done faster.”

“And what about the machine?” Kara inquired.

“If the D.E.O can draw out Oda for long enough, at least then we know it’s not directly in her hands and she can’t spread the poison.” Lucy said.

J’onn nodded, “Until then, keep questioning those who had access.”

The group slowly dwindled down as everyone left to fulfil their various tasks.

“Alex, wait, can I talk to you alone before you go?” Lena asked. Alex frowned in confusion but followed Lena nonetheless.

“Is everything okay?”

Lena blew out a breath, raising a hand to her head as she briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were full of stress and uncertainty. Alex’s heart went out to the woman who she knew trust meant a lot to, thinking that the doubt was taking a toll on her mental health.

“Hey, I’m sure Eve and the others haven’t betrayed your trust, Lena. There’ll be some other explanation for this.” Alex assured.

Lena grimaced, “Maybe...but what I’m about to tell you might provide that other explanation.”

Alex crossed her arms, “I’m listening.”

“Well,” Lena cleared her throat and began, “There was _one_ other person who had access. I didn’t think of them at first because it had been so long and I don’t know if- if she would actually-”

“Lena, who?” Alex gently prompted.

Another moment passed before Lena mumbled a name that Alex had to ask her to repeat.

“Sam. Sam had access to my stuff.”

An awful feeling crept into Alex’s body at the thought of Sam being back in the city after the way she abruptly left, made even worse by her fresh chance with Maggie. Sam being back would be another stress that _no one_ needed, much less Alex and Maggie. That said, she didn’t want to completely ignore the woman, especially if she was with Ruby.

“...Alex? You’ve kind of spaced out there,” Lena said, bringing Alex’s mind back to the present, “I know I should have said something earlier but telling everyone might not have been the best idea when you and Maggie are giving it another go.”

Alex met Lena’s apologetic gaze with a conflicted one of her own and managed a smile that she hoped didn’t come across as pained as it felt.

“I can’t keep secrets from Maggie,” she said, “I have to tell her about Sam before she finds out a few days down the line that I lied to her. We’ll keep it between the three of us until we’re more certain.”

Lena nodded in understanding, “I just wanted it to be your decision to make. For what it’s worth, I think it’s the right one.”

Alex sighed as she dragged a hand through her hair, “Why would Sam take it? She’s not alien anymore so has less reason to side with Oda… it just seems so random. After everything with Reign, I thought she’d stay well away from any alien related events.”

Lena was out of ideas herself as she could only offer a half-hearted shrug in response. The two stood in silence for a moment, allowing themselves a second to process. Alex broke their stillness by stepping forwards and bringing her friend into a hug, a gesture neither usually granted in public.

“This will all be over soon.”

“I hope so.” Lena muttered.

Alex squeezed tighter, determination lacing her words, “It will. One way or another, I’ll make sure of it.”

XXXXXXX

Alex texted Maggie Lena’s address to meet them an hour after the meeting at the D.E.O. She expected a difficult but honest and necessary conversation with her girlfriend before they could begin to brainstorm why Sam would want the machine. What she didn’t expect, was for Maggie to bring Lucy Lane along with her.

“Uh,” Alex stammered out a string of useless sounds as she opened the door to the duo who wore equally confused smirks on their faces.

“Alex, babe, you gonna let us in?” Maggie prompted.

Alex winced, “You see, I didn’t think there would be an ‘us’. Just you. No offence, Lucy.”

Lucy shrugged a shoulder indifferently though her suspicion had already been piqued.

“Yeah,” Maggie replied slowly as if she already knew she was saying the wrong thing, “I figured it would be to do with Oda or something and we were already together so…here we are.”

“Right! Of course. Oda. That’s obviously, exactly why I asked you here. Come in. Both of you.” Alex rattled on, leading them into Lena’s apartment to where they had been at the kitchen counter. Lena smiled in greeting as the joined her, covering her surprise better than Alex had. The same Alex who was quickly realising that she wouldn’t be able to hide the news about Sam for much longer as she spotted the wealth of papers she and Lena had been studying still sprawled out over the counter.

Counting to ten in her head, Alex only reached four before Maggie spoke up.

“Why do you guys look like you’ve been stalking Samantha Arias?”

Lucy snorted out a laugh before taking in the unsettled expressions on Alex and Lena’s faces. Her hands dropped to her hips as she raised a stern eyebrow at the offending duo.

“We’ve just been covering all the bases. Not _stalking_.” Lena argued weakly.

The raised eyebrow didn’t budge as Lucy spoke again, “I don’t want to have to pull rank on you here…”

“Lucy, you don’t even know Sam, you don’t know what she’s been through-”

“She realised she was a Worldkiller and became a hazard to everyone around her including you guys and her daughter - I know more than you think, Danvers. Still, I can give my unbiased opinion on what her intentions might be.”

“Her intentions for what?” Maggie interrupted, “I’m still quite confused here.”

Alex reached out to take Maggie’s hand as if to try and convey her honesty by physical contact.

“Lena said Sam had access to be able to take the machine. If she has, which we don’t know for sure, then it means she’s back in National City,” Alex tried to read Maggie’s expression and had no luck, “I know we spoke a bit about Sam and I before but I really need you to know that whatever happens, you and I is what I want and what I _have_ right now.”

Maggie was nodding and squeezing Alex’s hand before she had finished her sentence, “Okay, I trust you.”

Alex smiled gratefully, “We’ll talk about it later, yeah?” And with a pointed side glance at Lucy, “ _Alone_.”

Lucy’s scoff was barely heard as Lena’s phone began to ring into the room. The noise captured the attention of everyone in the group as Lena glanced at her phone.

“What is it? News from your lab?” Alex asked, already reaching for her phone to contact the D.E.O but a shake of Lena’s head stopped her.

“It’s Sam. She’s calling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long, just know that I am determined to finish the story I started to tell, no matter how long it takes. Thanks for sticking with me on this and I hope to get the next chapter out soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it!  
> If you did, join me on this journey throughout the hiatus. More to come soon.


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